Browsing: Renewables, low emissions

Once a carbon price is in place, banks must be willing to 'stare down' activists wanting to stymie investments in certain types of energy and resource projects, Energy Minister Martin Ferguson said today.

• NSW solar audit finds major defects in 18.5% of units
  
• NGER data 'a major step forward' for energy statistics
  
• EPA Victoria releases licence monitoring guidelines
  
• Carbon price would drive green building demand, council says

A Victorian tribunal has ruled that a company must follow tougher wind farm noise guidelines, despite a Supreme Court ruling to the contrary, while a South Australian court's decision to overturn development consent for a wind farm has major ramifications for the industry, says the project developer.

A Senate report on a bill to prevent imports of illegally logged timber has proposed substantial changes, while a separate Senate report into wind farms has played it safe, reaching no firm conclusions.

• Greens and independents urge new renewables fix
  
• Sydney's waste an ideal aviation fuel resource: Qantas chief
  
• Burke proposes to reject $950 million Great Barrier Reef development
  
• Combet selects 13 projects for climate change adaptation funding

• Report warns of marine collapse, urges new UN ocean compliance body
  
• Victoria reviews water pollution regulations
  
• NSW to amalgamate water management regulations
  
• NSW to develop solar action plan
  
• Water leadership course on offer

The company behind a controversial high-tech coal-fired power plant will share in a new $500,000 grant that will help fund research into coal drying and gasification processes.

Despite falling at the last hurdle in round one of the $1.1 billion Solar Flagships scheme, TRUenergy and Infigen say they will persevere with efforts to secure funding for their large-scale renewable energy power plants.

• BCA wary of 'formal' efficiency schemes, backs smart meters
  
• Network businesses make limited progress on demand management
  
• Godfrey Hirst, Grocon pick up Victorian sustainability awards
  
• Forests NSW punished over charred 'smoky mouse' habitat
  
• Solar roundtable offers chance to fix ailing flagship scheme, Milne says

In a new report, EPA Victoria spells out its reasons for approving a controversial high-tech coal-fired power station and explains how its decision allowing a half-sized plant meets legal requirements and the 'precautionary principle'.