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Nick Toscano is a business reporter for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald.

Coal plants are powering down to survive Australia’s rooftop solar surge

Coal plants are powering down to survive Australia’s rooftop solar surge

Energy giant AGL last month carried out an Australia-first trial of taking one of the units in NSW offline for five hours and returning it to service in the afternoon.

  • by Nick Toscano

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‘The risk has gone up’: Petrol prices are at a two-year low, but maybe not for long

‘The risk has gone up’: Petrol prices are at a two-year low, but maybe not for long

Australian drivers face a heightened risk of petrol prices climbing yet again if fighting in the Middle East intensifies and disrupts oil supply.

  • by Simon Johanson and Nick Toscano
Australia suffers major setback in global race to turn water into hydrogen

Australia suffers major setback in global race to turn water into hydrogen

Australia’s bid for hydrogen ‘superpower’ status has been dealt a new blow as the nation’s top energy utility – Origin Energy – pulls its plans for a large hydrogen hub.

  • by Nick Toscano and Mike Foley
Renewables’ half-hour of power on the east coast

Renewables’ half-hour of power on the east coast

Australia’s energy transition reached a record this week as renewables hit 74 per cent of the electricity mix for a half-hour period.

  • by Nick Toscano
New deal to power up Alcoa’s Portland smelter until 2035

New deal to power up Alcoa’s Portland smelter until 2035

Aluminium giant Alcoa has locked in a new electricity deal to power its Portland smelter in Victoria’s south-west, strengthening the outlook for the plant’s future.

  • by Nick Toscano
Australia’s fossil fuel giants are facing a $30 billion hit

Australia’s fossil fuel giants are facing a $30 billion hit

Tens of billions of dollars from Australia’s coal and gas exports could be wiped out in as little as two years as prices keep tumbling.

  • by Nick Toscano
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Australia running risk of gas crunch next winter, warns ACCC

Australia running risk of gas crunch next winter, warns ACCC

Homes and business in eastern Australia are running short of gas amid new warnings that supplies are tightening ahead of next winter.

  • by Nick Toscano and Mike Foley
Power giant fined $14m for misleading consumers on electricity prices

Power giant fined $14m for misleading consumers on electricity prices

EnergyAustralia misled consumers about power prices as bills were spiking due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

  • by Nick Toscano
Energy giant issues warning on Dutton nuclear plan

Energy giant issues warning on Dutton nuclear plan

Power giant AGL says Australia has reached a critical juncture in the renewable energy transition and has no time to waste waiting for nuclear.

  • by Nick Toscano
Australia is building more renewables than ever. It’s still not enough

Australia is building more renewables than ever. It’s still not enough

The nation’s renewable energy transition has reached record speed, with more wind, solar and battery projects under construction than in any year.

  • by Nick Toscano
Why is Australia still burning so much coal? Inside the power plant that just can’t close

Why is Australia still burning so much coal? Inside the power plant that just can’t close

Australia’s energy transition has a timing problem: we have enough renewables to undermine coal, but not enough yet to replace it. That means plants like Origin Energy’s Eraring are being forced to stay in the mix.

  • by Mike Foley and Nick Toscano

Original URL: https://www.theage.com.au/by/nick-toscano-hvf8m