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What would the implementation of a solar tax mean for rooftop solar returns? We look at the AEMC modelling.

The post Modelling: How the proposed rooftop solar tax will affect solar households appeared first on RenewEconomy.

The Morrison government instigates yet another inquiry into the energy system, and it has already backed coal and sidelined renewables before it even started.

The post Taylor requests yet another review of future grid needs, to deal with “intermittents” appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Company behind Australian battery giga-factory has joined forces with the CSIRO and IMCRC to develop a home gown, “defence grade” battery management system.

The post Energy Renaissance, CSIRO join forces on “defence grade” battery management system appeared first on RenewEconomy.

SEA Electric announces launch of first locally-assembled volume-produced electric trucks, the SEA 300 and SEA 500.

The post Australia’s first mass-made electric trucks go into production appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Chris Bowen tells forum in Canberra that Labor is the only one capable of taking Australia to zero net emissions, and sees important role for gas.

The post Bowen pitches Labor’s new gas-friendly climate platform, and an end to “toxic politics” appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

Latest EV results welcomed as signal of growing demand and recovering economy but growth achieved off very low base

Australia has recorded the largest bump ever in electric vehicle imports over the first two months of the year but industry figures say the result is still not good enough.

Import figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Wednesday show the dollar value of electric vehicle (EV) imports has grown $104m to $125m in the first two months of 2021, representing an increase of 485% on figures recorded at the same time last year.

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Guardian Australia photographer Mike Bowers has spent the week documenting one of the state’s worst-hit areas, the mid-north coast. The deluge and its aftermath have been horrific, particularly for farmers. WARNING: this gallery contains images of dead animals

• Weather eases but major flooding still occurring across state
• ‘Couldn’t get out’: man who drowned in car stayed on the phone to emergency services for 40 minutes

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Tree felling is helping to restore an ancient ecosystem which can store even more carbon than trees do.

Proposed changes to the national energy market rules aims to prevent ‘traffic jams’ of electricity on sunny days

Australian households with rooftop solar panels could be charged for exporting electricity into the power grid at times when it is not needed under proposed changes to the national electricity market.

The recommendation is included in a draft deliberation by the Australian Energy Market Commission that is designed to prevent “traffic jams” of electricity at sunny times that could destabilise the network.

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A new report on the global supply of finance to fossil fuel companies shows Australia's big four banks are doing terribly.

The post Australia’s big four banks drag heels on fossil fuel finance: new report appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Ed Miliband says party would provide interest-free government loans for up to 1m households

Interest-free government loans should be made available to help up to a million households buy electric cars over the next two years, the shadow business secretary, Ed Miliband, is to argue.

In a speech on Thursday, Miliband will set out Labour’s plans for an “electric vehicle revolution” to promote a rapid increase in the take-up of electric cars as the UK moves towards net zero carbon.

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Moody’s Investor Services (MIS) will begin explicitly breaking out environmental, social, and governance (ESG) risk factors and listing them alongside credit ratings this year, panellists at a corporate governance event heard Wednesday.

Households may soon be taxed for solar exports sent back to the grid, but the rule maker promises this will eliminate current constraints on exports and make the system fairer.

The post Solar tax: Networks to charge households to export solar power to grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Voluntary emissions reduction (VER) generators are still facing disproportionate levels of scrutiny compared to the behaviours of corporate buyers, despite efforts of project proponents to work with communities and incorporate more social and economic goals, a REDD+ developer said Wednesday.

California Carbon Offset (CCO) issuances hit a four-month low this week as state regulator ARB doled out fewer than 200,000 new credits, according to data published Wednesday.

A proposed Quebec liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal may provide few long-term climate benefits if constructed, with declining future foreign demand potentially making the facility redundant, according to a government report published Wednesday.

Another surge in EUA prices risks Poland’s electricity supply if the EU fails to intervene, the country’s biggest power generator PGE warned on Wednesday as Polish and EU officials touted prospects for the bloc's recovery funds to clean the grid.

Toxicologist Jon Heylings speaks of his long-held concerns over paraquat, which is linked to thousands of deaths globally

‘A sip can kill’: did a chemical company misrepresent data to avoid making a safer product?

A scientist with one of the world’s largest chemical firms took the difficult decision to speak out publicly when “a new generation” of managers rejected concerns about a mass produced weedkiller that he had been expressing for decades.

Going public has been a “relief”, says toxicologist Jon Heylings. He worked for 28 years for Syngenta, formerly ICI, where his efforts focused on developing safer formulations of the herbicide paraquat. But in 1990 he began consistently raising internal concerns about the handling of what was one of the company’s bestselling products.

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A former Syngenta scientist alleges lives could have been saved with tweaks to the formulation of weedkiller paraquat

• Scientist tells of relief after speaking out over weedkiller fears

Around the world, the deadly dangers of a weedkiller called paraquat are well known. When working with the highly toxic herbicide, farmers and other users take care not to splash or spill even small amounts of the product, heeding regulatory warnings that just a tiny amount – if swallowed – will kill them.

Related: Revealed: Monsanto owner and US officials pressured Mexico to drop glyphosate ban

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