Renewables backing raises questions of economic return

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen could not have made it easier for Andrew Forrest to commit to a major investment in renewables (“Forrest pledges huge renewables expansion”, 12/1).

The project would receive subsidies via redeemable energy certificates worth about $45 per megawatt hour, a government guaranteed return on investment at taxpayer expense, no threat from competition and would have no obligation to build the necessary transmission lines or storage facilities to guarantee 24/7 power for households and industry. This represents an act of desperation by Bowen to achieve his renewables dream, at significant costs to the environment, energy affordability, energy security and economic growth.

Moreover, it represents a totally unjustifiable transfer of wealth from households to corporate Australia and should be rejected out of hand by the public.

Ron Hobba, Camberwell, Vic

Andrew Forrest says his new renewable energy project will avoid volatile, planet-destroying fuels. Perhaps a quicker, cheaper sure-fire method to avoid planet-destroying fuels would be for him to cease exporting iron ore – currently about 190 million tonnes a year and growing – which requires about 150 million tonnes of coal, from the planet, to convert to steel. Wonder how much taxpayer money is going into his new 20 gigawatt solar and wind farm project?

Kerry Pidcock, Yamba, NSW

Those who promote nuclear energy sources for Australia need to read the December 2023 CSIRO report, The Question of Nuclear in Australia’s Energy Sector. The CSIRO does not recommend nuclear, chiefly on cost. The Australian Energy Market Operator, corporations and businesses will be reading that material for their planning.

Small-scale nuclear reactors were promoted by the opposition last year, but with cost blowouts leading to the recent closure of the NuScale small nuclear reactor project in Utah, US, that idea has gone cold. We have our own cost blowout with the Snowy 2.0 hydro project, estimated now to be a $12bn project rather than a $2bn one. However, that project is due to be completed in 2028 after running into sand, which is more troublesome than the expected rocks. Snowy 2.0 will provide huge firming capacity for Sydney and Melbourne so that we have more than renewables and batteries for our energy sources. We need to get on with what we are doing rather than embark on yet another method, such as nuclear, that does not fit our conditions. The temperature is rising.

Elaine Hopper, Blackburn, Vic

Nuclear power in Australia is necessary to secure our cleaner energy future, at the same time retaining essential manufacturing such as steel, aluminium, bricks, glass, ceramics and chemicals, now inexorably being lost overseas due to high energy costs.

It seems beyond belief that we cannot have a mature discussion about the benefits of nuclear and how we can safely deal with its risks.

After all, if the rest of the developed world is using nuclear, building more plants and developing small nuclear reactors, surely we should follow suit.

Ian Morison, Forrest, ACT

Tide of affairs

When it comes to implementation of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, it appears the federal water minister is merely a figurehead. None of the water ministers in more than a decade of the plan has had much understanding of this complex issue.

It is their department and its bureaucracy that make the decisions and direct whichever minister has been allocated the portfolio. The only direction from the minister is around political imperatives that involve not upsetting those in city or South Australian marginal seats.

As such, we need to understand that failings of the basin plan are only partly the fault of various water ministers, and responsibility for this social and economic disaster should instead be directed to unelected people behind the scenes.

The current Water Minister, Tanya Plibersek, appears to have minimal understanding of water policy and management complexities and has not done enough to improve her knowledge. Despite numerous requests, she has never even bothered to visit areas that are most affected, such as the Southern Riverina. When there is a change of government or cabinet reshuffle she will move on but little will change. The bureaucrats will just be left to indoctrinate a new minister. And when we have the inevitable realisation that the basin plan was poorly modelled and poorly delivered, no one will be held accountable.

Stephen Ball, Mayrung, NSW

Mind their business

Aussies don’t need Peter Dutton to tell them to boycott Woolworths and Big W stores because chief executives have removed Australia Day merchandise from their shelves. We can make up our own minds about what action should be taken. I feel strongly that large corporations should not get involved in social and political issues. The public does not want the decision made for them by CEOs. Leave that discretion up to the consumer.

Lizzie Haydon, Runcorn, Qld