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Energy Industry

'Up-and-coming Barossa Valley' pushes back against large solar farm

Residents in the regional Victorian community are concerned a proposed 665-hectare solar farm would change the microclimate of the renowned grape-growing region and drive away tourism.
Four people standing in front of a vineyard, green paddocks, and a blue sky.

Got an old, cold house like Laine's? Here are seven ways to make it warmer and cheaper

Australian homes are notoriously cold in winter — draughty, with poor insulation, thin glass and inadequate heating. But there's a growing movement of people retrofitting their homes to make them cheaper to run and more comfortable year-round, while also reducing emissions. 
A young woman wearing grey dress over black skivvy stands in front of a house, smiling with a mug in her hands

analysis:When it comes to power, solar could leave nuclear and everything else in the shade — here's why

Energy experts — and even Greenpeace — underestimated solar power's rapid global growth. Now many believe solar is set to become the world's biggest power source within the next decade. But it is falling prices — rather than environmental benefits — that might be driving that change.
Arrays of solar panels on a rural property.

How smart meters are changing your power bill

There is a huge change happening in the way we pay for our power and whether you can get the balance right could have big implications for your energy bill.
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A man with his palms out with pictures of old and new power meters superimposed hovering over his right and left hands.
Duration: 8 minutes 42 seconds

More households in NSW with mortgages, higher incomes are struggling to pay their power bills

A survey of more than 1,000 people in NSW found that 39 per cent of respondents that had their energy disconnected were from middle income households.
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Silver energy electricity box with woman holding door

CSIRO chief executive says Peter Dutton's comments on energy report 'corrode public trust in science'

CSIRO CEO Dr Doug Hilton is urging politicians not to undermine scientists in the energy debate, after finding himself in the political firing line.
A bald man sitting at a ABC branded microphone with an on air sign lit up in the background.

Businesses 'on stand-by to switch off' in fallout from gas crisis gripping Australia's east

There's more bill pain underway for households, but it's businesses that will bear the brunt of the latest gas crisis rippling through Australia's south-eastern states in the dead of winter.
Young Female Welder Working In Factory Wearing Protective Safety Gear.

Nearby this remote river could become home to WA's largest desalination plant

The Pilbara's Balla Balla River is known for its barramundi fishing but could soon be home to a nearby sea water desalination plant worth $5 billion. 
Crystal clear blue water laps upon red rocky shores

What is nuclear energy and how does it work?

Nuclear power is in the headlines a lot right now. So we ask energy experts to break down exactly what it is.
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Four nuclear power station chimneys emit steam

Renewable Energy Zone transmission lines given green light, despite lingering community concerns

The Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone becomes the first in Australia to secure planning approval for the transmission lines that will link renewable projects to the electricity grid. Some residents say their concerns have been "overlooked".
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Two power transmission towers in the middle on an open field with a sunrise in the background.,

The Coalition needs votes from young people, so are they on board with its nuclear plan?

Peter Dutton has pledged to build nuclear power plants in these teenagers' regions if the Coalition wins the next election. Some are excited by the prospect of a new industry but others want to keep the focus on renewables.
A graphic showing silhouettes of four teenagers standing on either side of a nuclear power plant with steam rising from it.

Buyers snap up houses sight unseen in rural city set for hydrogen-fuelled future

With a $593 million hydrogen plant on the way, sales activity in Whyalla's housing market is on average double compared to its regional neighbours. 
A landscape view of trees and homes at Whyalla

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen speaks to 7.30

Chris Bowen is the Climate Change and Energy Minister, and he speaks with Sarah Ferguson about the federal opposition’s plan to building multiple reactors on seven sites.
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ABC News Current
Duration: 8 minutes

The energy debate heats up

The 'new climate wars' between the Albanese Government and Dutton Opposition came to Federal parliament today MPs return for a final sitting before the winter break.
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ABC News Current
Duration: 7 minutes 7 seconds

Australia's confusing energy system is even harder to navigate for migrants, but Sydney leaders are helping bridge the divide

Advocates are worried not everyone is finding it easy to access — and benefit from — renewable energy.
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Diana Olmos stands with her arms crossed.

Behind the grand plans for nuclear is a potentially fatal flaw. And it's on millions of roofs

The Coalition wants nuclear to be the Yin to rooftop solar's Yang. But some experts say the technologies make terrible bedfellows. 
roofs of houses, most of them with solar panels

analysis:A surge in the polls spurred the Coalition to announce its nuclear plans. Now both parties have a birthday cake problem

A surge in the polls helped spur the Coalition to announce its nuclear policy. Whether it holds on to that lead will come down to which side can persuade voters that such complex issues can magic up any short-term betterment in their lives.
Split image shows profile of Anthony Albanese looking down, lips pursed, and Peter Dutton glancing up, squinting

Radioactive waste comes under spotlight as Coalition moves to embrace nuclear future

Australia currently produces a relatively small amount of radioactive waste due to its limited nuclear industry, so what would happen to the waste generated by seven nuclear reactors if they were built under a Coalition government?
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Container of nuclear waste being loaded onto truck by crane

Emergency gas deals to cost NT taxpayers almost $70m over two years, utility reveals

NT government-owned utility the Power and Water Corporation has revealed the territory's shortfall in gas supply cost taxpayers $43.4 million in 2023-24, and is estimated to cost another $24.3 million next financial year.
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an offshore jack-up drill rig.

Gas threat 'immediate' as cold spell, renewable lulls and outages squeeze supply

Gas prices return to crisis highs as cold weather, a lack of renewable energy and plant outages smash the east coast market. 
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Aerial shot of massive oil and gas rig in the Bass Strait off Victoria

analysis:Peter Dutton has placed a target on his back. Is his nuclear policy cunning genius or political self-destruction?

Peter Dutton has broken every single rule when it comes to unveiling radical policy as opposition leader, tearing up the script and gambling with his party's chances at the next election with his nuclear policy. Can he pull it off?
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A man with a shaved head, wearing a suit.

analysis:Peter Dutton has placed a staggering bet on his ability to sell Australians nuclear power — it's a huge gamble

Peter Dutton's nuclear energy plan is one of the riskiest gambits from opposition in many moons. He genuinely believes nuclear is the answer to Australia's energy problems, but it remains to be seen whether the details will vindicate his conviction.
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Peter Dutton during QT

These fund managers have billions in their portfolio, but they're not planning to invest a cent in nuclear

We asked Australia's largest energy companies, fund managers and a mining billionaire whether they think nuclear is a viable option for meeting our emissions targets — "unicorns" and "impossible without subsidies" were some of the responses we got back. 
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A long exposure shows a nuclear plant illuminated at night, with a white cloud of steam emerging from the top of two reactors.

analysis:A rude bill shock was the first most households heard about a monumental shift in Australia's energy system

Across Australia, a huge, forced migration is underway as consumers are shunted on to complex power prices. Just don't expect anyone to tell you about it.
a woman is sitting at a table looking at a utility bill.

Australian energy rule maker signals shake-up of electricity charges

The body that sets the rules in Australia's biggest electricity markets acknowledges worries about complex power prices as it launches review.
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Silver energy electricity box