Carbon policy indecision creates ‘investment strike’ in renewables in Australia

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By Paul Homewood

h/t Patsy Lacey

The BBC article about record solar power, that I posted on earlier, contained the usual whinge about cuts in support for solar (translation – subsidies).

Hannah Martin, head of energy for Greenpeace in the UK, said: "Today’s new record is a reminder of what the UK could achieve if our government reversed its cuts to support for solar.

"All around the world, solar power keeps beating new records as costs come down and power generation goes up."

As I have repeatedly pointed out, why do they need subsidising, when the costs are claimed to be so low.

According to the Guardian report below, solar cannot even stand on its own two feet in Australia:

The uncertainty of Australia’s carbon policy is causing reduced investment, including in renewable energy, regulators have told a parliamentary committee.

Officials from the Australian Energy Market Commission told the standing committee on the environment and energy on Friday that an emissions intensity scheme was the best solution to end uncertainty because it was technology neutral and could respond to variables such as high gas prices.

The evidence echoes the warning of Australia’s chief scientist, Alan Finkel, that investment has stalled and his support for an EIS in a preliminary report before his major review of Australia’s climate policy, which he is due to complete by mid 2017.

Labor and the Greens have said the evidence shows increased power prices are not leading to investment to improve supply or manage demand because of an “investment strike” caused by government policies.

Anne Pearson, the chief executive of the AEMC, said the electricity sector was in transition and needed policy certainty for investment decisions.

“That certainty won’t come until there’s some certainty in emissions policy,” she said.

A senior director, Richard Owens, said the AEMC tried to drive investment but “we seem to be seeing there’s a lot of uncertainty for businesses”. That would last “until they know what policy on climate change will be adopted to meet 2030 and 2050 targets”.

“If you are thinking of entering the market for solar power and storage, a large-scale solar provider, or pumped hydro, or as a gas power station … it’s very hard to know if you’ll make money [until emissions policy is decided].”

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If solar power cannot make money in Australia’s sunshine, it never will in Britain.

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May 27, 2017 at 02:48AM

Group of 7 Meeting Ends Without Agreement on Climate Change

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF)
http://www.thegwpf.com

(TAORMINA, Sicily) — A summit of the leaders of the world’s wealthiest democracies has ended without a unanimous agreement on climate change, as the Trump administration plans to take more time to say whether the U.S. is going to remain in the Paris climate deal.

The other six powers in the Group of Seven have agreed to stick with their previous commitment to implement that Paris deal to rein in greenhouse gases to fight climate change. The final G-7 statement expresses “understanding” for the U.S. review process.

Full post

via The Global Warming Policy Forum (GWPF) http://www.thegwpf.com

May 27, 2017 at 02:27AM

Germany’s Fake Heat: Media Calling A Few Hours Of 30+°C Weather ‘A Heat Wave’!

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This weekend Germany is getting its first summerlike weather (after having seen snow earlier in the month), with temperatures forecast to reach 30°C or more in some parts of Germany.

And already a number of media outlets and WetterOnline, for example, have announced that a “heat wave” will roll across the country over the coming days.

But as Schneefan at climate and weather site wobleibtdieerderwaermung.de points out, you really have got to wonder what the media and some weather outlets are thinking here. This all borders on real comedy.

Wetter online.de wrote:

Perfect timing: Precisely during what will be for many a long holiday weekend, the first heat wave of the year is rolling in. Already on Saturday along the Rhine area temperatures of 30°C are in the works. On Saturday and Monday it’ll be around 30°C hot everywhere...“

“Around 30°C hot”…, on Saturday and Monday? This is a heat wave?

“Meteorological nonsense”

Schneefan thinks it’s ridiculous, and calls it “meteorological nonsense” when one looks at the definition of a heat wave, provided by Wetteronline no less:

It is considered a heat wave when the high temperature reaches 30°C or more over five or more consecutive days.”

“That certainly isn’t going to happen in Germany at the end of May 2017,” Schneefan comments. “Two days of heat don’t make a heat wave, but they do cause waves from the media.”

30°C temperatures in fact spotty, short-lived

Looking at major cities across Germany, we see in fact that temperatures will be 30°C or higher only over a few hours during the “heat wave”. Berlin will see only about 5 hours of 30°C. Frankfurt will see some three days with temps reaching 30°C or higher, for a total of roughly 15 hours.

Munich and Hamburg aren’t going to see the 30°C mark at all during the year’s first “heat wave”. Hanover will see one day (Monday) with 30°C – for about a whopping whole 3 hours!

The 7-day outlook for the 2m temperature shows in fact rather substantial cooling across much of Europe:

The 7-day forecast shows cooling across much of Europe (blue color). Source: http://ift.tt/2aXzeBH

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May 27, 2017 at 01:29AM

Paris climate commitment ‘crippling’ to US growth: White House

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Decision time looks to be nearing on this issue, as Phys.org reports. Place your bets.

US compliance with its commitments under the Paris Agreement on climate change would be “crippling” to growth, the White House said Friday.

During his election campaign, avowed climate sceptic Donald Trump promised to exit the 2015 UN pact on limiting global warming.

But Trump has now said he will make a decision after returning to Washington following the G7 summit in Sicily which starts Friday, at the end of his international tour.

“We know that the levels that were agreed to by the prior administration would be highly crippling to the US economic growth,” Trump’s economic advisor Gary Cohn said.

“The president has told you that he’s going to ultimately make a decision on Paris and climate when he gets back. He’s interested to hear what the G7 leaders have to say about climate,” said Cohn, speaking aboard the presidential Air Force One. “It will be a fairly robust discussion on that. We know that because we had it today with the French president, we had it with the Belgians, we had it with all the bilaterals we’ve had,” he added.

Trump “wants to do the right thing for the environment. He cares about the environment. But he also cares very much about creating jobs for American workers,” said the adviser to a Republican president who has declared the end to a “war on coal”.

Under President Barack Obama, the US, with world’s second biggest carbon emitter, pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025.

A solution discussed in Washington could be to remain in the Paris Agreement but launch a re-examination of US objectives. That would allow it to keep a seat at the negotiating table while sending a signal domestically of a form of break with the previous Democratic administration.

US withdrawal from the 196-nation Paris Agreement would be a real blow to “climate diplomacy” which, less than 18 months ago, celebrated the historic pact made possible by a hard-fought agreement negotiated between Washington and Beijing.

Source: Paris climate commitment ‘crippling’ to US growth: White House | Phys.org

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May 27, 2017 at 01:12AM