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Energy Research

How would you feel about having a nuclear reactor in your backyard?

Traralgon residents fear the Coalition's proposal to build a nuclear plant nearby will drive down property prices, but some also see it as a chance for an economic boost when the coal power station closes.
A man with a moustache on left, couple at their store's cash register in centre and woman wearing pink and black jacket

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.

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

analysis:Dutton's swing to nuclear power heralds a return to nationalisation

Since the Menzies era, the Liberal Party's mantra has been built on a free market and small government. But Peter Dutton's nuclear power plans mean the opposition's ambitions have turned the party's ideology on its head.
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Australian Opposition Leader Peter Dutton

Australia is placing a billion-dollar bet on making solar panels. It's exciting some, and alarming others

The government knows it can't compete with China to make cheaper solar panels. But it's placing a billion-dollar bet that it can outcompete the manufacturing giant on technology to transform Australia's tiny solar industry. 
Albanese is seen through the window of a manufacturing facility, production line equipment in the foreground.

'Recipe for disaster': WA energy minister slams plan to build nuclear power plant south of Perth

Peter Dutton's plan to build a nuclear power plant in Collie has drawn mixed reactions in the west, but it won't happen before 2050.
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Powerlines suspended between towers against orange dusk  sky.

Australia's energy regulator pledges to overhaul power pricing

Energy reporter Daniel Mercer says smart meters will significantly change the way power companies charge consumers.
Power Pricing Overhaul, Energy Regulator: Close up of an electricity bill.
Duration: 3 minutes 54 seconds

The Coalition's preparing to 'dump' Australia's 2030 climate target if it wins the next election. This is uncharted territory

The Coalition insists it supports the global Paris Agreement but it wants to dump Australia's short-term emissions reduction target. Is that allowed under the rules?
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Climate change demonstrators hold placards during a march outside the Houses of Parliament in London.

Would a nuclear power plant fit Australia's needs? These numbers cut through the debate

As the shift away from fossil fuels gathers pace, the Coalition has turned to an emissions-free technology with a long and contentious history — nuclear fission. These are the numbers you should keep in mind when thinking about its place in Australia's energy transition.
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A graphic of a nuclear power plant with a nuclear symbol and the numbers 2040 and 2045 in the foreground

Dread the cold? These cheap items will help you stay warm this winter

Whether your priority is to make life in your rental property less of Survivor-style experience, keep energy costs down, or just to be cosier, winter can be a season of challenge.  
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door snake

Making wine bottles takes a lot of energy. This glass plant is aiming to make the process more efficient

From a more efficient furnace to increased recycling, a South Australian glass plant is moving to cut its energy use to provide savings for itself and potential benefits to other users. And it's qualified for a new efficiency scheme.
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Man with a hi vis vest looks at bottles in a factory.

Australian uni students pursue the holy grail of energy generation — a fusion reactor

A group of intrepid UNSW students are hard at work on a project that could solve the world's energy problems, but, as a joke among scientists goes, the technology always seems to be 30 years away.
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A group of four university students.

Australia's ski fields are on a downhill slope, but scientists show there's an off-ramp

Away from the sunburnt beaches, hot dusty gums, and red deserts, news for Australia's ski fields hasn't been good for years. But new research shows while the snow season is getting shorter, there's hope to turn things around.
Skiers look over to the opposing mountain ridge

A gas leak potentially destroyed a Sydney home and killed a person inside. Here's what to do when you smell gas

An investigation into the house explosion in Sydney's west on Saturday is looking at whether a gas leak was to blame, as an expert says leaks can be difficult to detect but can cause major damage. 
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Emergency workers dressed in hi-vis yellow attend to an exploded house

Energy companies accused of using sneaky billing tactics to gouge customers

An ABC investigation has found some residential customers are being charged based on their single biggest point of usage across the entire month without being told or able to opt out.
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Billing Tactics, Electricity Pricing: An analogue electricity metre.
Duration: 1 minute 58 seconds

How the 'enigma' of his dad's job inspired Todd to paint a significant moment in Australia's energy history

Todd Fuller painted the portraits of 30 Liddell Power Station workers to mark the site's closure. The experience changed his perspective forever.
Two men standing next to each other. The man on the right has his hand on the left man's shoulder

Tips for dropping your electricity bills as prices soar this winter

Energy prices are going up but there are ways that you can make your home more efficient to help curb the cost of living.
Reducing Energy Bills, Tips For Winter: Close up of light bulb with exposed filament.
Duration: 3 minutes 8 seconds

How much does it cost to run aircon versus portable electric heater in winter? Here's how to save the most

Winter is here, and experts say there are ways to stay warm while saving money on your power bill. One of them is to avoid setting the heater temperature too high.
A heater on the floor with two feet warming up next to it. The feet have socks on

The five things researchers say Australia needs to do to capitalise on electric vehicles

Researchers say there are five things Australia needs to do to capitalise on an electric future.
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A Tesla employee bends down to work on the motor of a Model S at the front of a line of cars.

Grid-based electricity in Daintree Rainforest an alternative to high-polluting diesel generators

Microgrid technology proposed as an alternative to burning millions of litres of diesel for power in the Daintree Rainforest.
ABC News Current
Duration: 3 minutes 42 seconds

Energy Minister Chris Bowen speaks on the future of the energy sector in Australia

Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen speaks with 730's Sarah Ferguson on the future of energy in Australia.
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ABC News Current
Duration: 14 minutes 40 seconds

'Concrete progress': Whyalla steelworks blast furnace restarted

GFG Alliance boss Sanjeev Gupta says the blast furnace — which has been offline since mid-March — has been restarted, and steelmaking should begin again next month.
Whyalla steelworks owner Sanjeev Gupta

'Gas lobby forced-fed down our throat': MasterChef grilled in greenwashing Senate inquiry

The heat has been put on Network Ten in a Senate inquiry into greenwashing and executives refused to put a number on a controversial gas sponsorship deal for its successful MasterChef show. 
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A man wearing a black polo shirt and white apron stands behind a barbecue cooking a steak.

Power pain to ease as regulator hands down modest price relief

Embattled electricity consumers are set for modest relief after energy regulators cut benchmark power prices in most states.
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A flat lay of a calculator, an electricity bill and a mobile phone displaying an ABC article about electricity prices.

Locals 'bitterly disappointed' as coal-fired energy station to stay open for an extra two years

The Eraring Power Station in Lake Macquarie will remain open for an additional two years beyond its original 2025 closure date in a deal between Origin and the NSW state government which could cost taxpayers up to $450 million. 
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Buildings and large stack tower at the Eraring Power Station.