Monday, December 23, 2013

Electricity from COAL is cheapest and best for Australia


The Energy Supply Association of Australia needs to submit their findings through a BF (bullshit filter) and you would find NOTHING coming out the other side. Why don't they admit to the public having to paid costly electricity bills, at 31 cents kWh, that they got it wrong and so too have the pollies, including John Howard, by promoting the Renewable Energy Target Scheme.

The RET legislation, that requires by 2020 our electricity be 20% supplied from renewable sources, is crazy. In Australia, hydroelectric schemes are barely possible (because of the Greens), solar and wind power are excessively expensive and should NOT be subsidized by the State Governments, if we want cheaper power. Promotion of useless wind farms must be STOPPED. If we must have a Power Target let it be 15 cents per kWh by 2020, then we WOULD have a flight of the warmists rabbits from positions of influence.

We don't need to subsidize or promote renewable energy just now when we have plentiful supplies of coal and gas to fuel power stations for the national grid. Maybe by the year 2100 renewable energy may start to be attractive in Australia, but until then let's make the most of our competitive advantage in world trade by having cheap coal-based electricity. CO2 is NOT a pollutant and CO2 emissions should be cherished by mankind and the biosphere. No more pollie bullshit allowed from 2014 onwards. Merry Xmas from Allano

Saturday, December 21, 2013

3 CHEERS FOR A PROSPEROUS SOUTH AUSTRALIA


A prosperous future for South Australia lies in getting energy (electricity) costs down preferably by HALF what it is today i.e. down to 15 cents per kWh from the present 31 cents which has come about mainly by the Labor Government subsidizing wind farms and solar panels. Promoting wind and solar is a very expensive way of getting a dribble of "green electricity" often when you don't need it, and this must be stopped if we want a prosperous future.

We must preserve and modernize our existing coal-fired power plants at Port Augusta and expand production and development of our coal resources beyond the Leigh Creek operation. Shipping coal in from NSW or Queensland could be considered as a possible option.

A new Coalition Government for SA in March must stop the present Labor's idiotic unbridled promotion of expensive renewable energy projects. I hear that a $40 million grant is being considered for a FEASIBILITY study of a thermal solar plant for Port Augusta! It is high time these Green cowboys were given their marching orders out of our state so that a sensible energy policy can be followed exploiting our extensive coal and gas resources for electricity generation. Merry Xmas from Allano

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Coalition's Paid Parental Leave Scheme is unaffordable & unnecessary


The Coalition's proposed Paid Parental Leave Scheme is unfair to those mothers not in the well-paid work force. Labor's parental leave scheme at 18 weeks on the minimum wage PLUS whatever the employer provides is adequate attendance to this problem, in view of the present parlous state of the economy.

The idea that the Coalition's scheme is fully funded is semantic bunkum. The proposal is to charge a levy (= tax increase) of 1.5% on profits of companies that have more than $5 million taxable income! They say this will be offset by the Coalition's proposed 1.5 % company tax cut. What a load of semantic BS! First priority of Government must be to hold or cut expenditures AND devise NO MORE NEW taxes, and get rid of the existing CARBON and MINING taxes. Working within these restrictions the Federal Government may have a chance of turning the economy around from the disaster its heading for. Saying that productivity will be increased is just pie-in-the sky dreaming typical of trade unions.

The large companies subject to the proposed levy are quite capable (and do) devise their own parental leave scheme tailored to their circumstances. There is no need for the Government to interfere in this matter, extending the nanny state into unknown and expensive territory.

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Green electricity is TOO COSTLY for Africa (and Australia)


In today's "The Australian" newspaper there is an interesting article by environmentalist Bjorn Lomborg about the huge extra cost of providing electricity from wind farms and solar plants, compared to conventional power stations using coal. In South Africa coal powers 90% of electricity at a cost to the consumer of US 9 cents per kWh. It is easy and cheap to cut coal (particulate) pollution by 90% or more with scrubbers. CO2 emissions are considered to be beneficial to humanity and the biosphere.

However, in some other African countries, using a mix of hydro, gas and oil, in the grid/population centers in Ethiopia, Ghana, and Kenya the cost will likely be 25 cents per kWh. Lomborg concludes that for the forseeable future, electricity will be generated by burning fossil fuels.

Hydroelectric power stations are by far the best source of renewable energy and for some lucky mountainous countries hydro is the main power source eg New Zealand, Norway etc. However, South Australia where I live has no hydroelectric power stations, and has been UNfortunate to experience a decade of Labor Governments hell bent on making the State the leader of renewable energy in Australia. True, we have the most wind farms of any state (26 or more) and also the highest domestic cost of electricity at 31 cents per kWh because of this stupid eco-religious goal. The state elections are due in 3 month's time (March). Let's toss out this inept Labor Government of Premier Jay Weatherill and replace it with a Liberal Government that will STOP the wind farms and aid in development of our coal, gas and uranium resources for domestic power production. Merry Xmas from Allano

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

EPA leads USA and Australia to low economic outcomes


US commentator, Alan Caruba says today in his blog "Facts not Fantasy"... "Cleaning the nation’s air and water is a public health activity, but denying Americans access to the nation’s vast reservoirs of coal, oil, and natural gas is an attack on the nation’s economic growth and a denial of the energy it requires to recover from the 2008 financial crisis, providing jobs and keeping energy costs under control.
Environmentalism is based on lies and the lies reflect an agenda that regards humanity as the enemy of the Earth".

We see the same thing happening in Australia and especially South Australia which has suffered from 9 years of Labor Government mismanagement caused by dreamily following Greeny environmental ideas without question. We now have at a cost of $2 billion an unneeded desalination plant which exists on standby, run by Green power from wind mills, according to the Greens. About 25 wind farms (at least) despoil our countryside providing a dribble of power mostly when we don't need it. The domestic price for electricity is 31 cents per kWh which is the highest of all states of the nation. All wind farms require a 100% backup from gas-fired power plants so why allow them to be built in the first place?

South Australia has extensive gas and coal resources and the world's largest uranium mine all of which are ignored by Labor and Greenies in Government as as an energy source to be promoted for development. No, we must be content with very expensive electricity from wind mills and pie-in-the-sky solar-plants. Pox on Premier Jay Weatherill and his useless Labor Government. Roll on the SA State elections in March 2014. Get ready to boot Labor out of office.
Merry Xmas from Allano

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Labor fails in South Australia -- economy is stuffed


Andrew Bolt, Melbourne HS reporter, sums it up well for poor old South Australia. The result of Greenpeace lover ex-Premier Mike Rann and now wishy washy Premier Jay Weatherill, Labor's legacy will be the most expensive electricity in Australia, at 31 cents per kWh (domestic), also SA has more wind farms (scams) than any other state. There is a direct correlation between number of wind farms and more expensive electricity, and domestic poverty.

Further more, SA's Labor Government public servants outnumber manufacturing jobs. Labor's record is a net loss of 23,000 manufacturing jobs and a net gain of 20,000 bureaucrats. The public servant salary bill now eats up 47% of the Labor Government's income, the largest for any state in Australia. What will happen if the SA Holden car plant closes in 2016? (Due to excessive union wage demands, power pricing and Labor's carbon tax)

The March state election must see the end of the Weatherill Labor Government. But do the Liberals know what to do to ensure a prosperous future? How about STOPPING WIND FARMS for starters.
Merry Xmas from Allano

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Australia gets set to repeal Labor's Carbon Tax in the Senate


CARBON CARBON CARBON CARBON CARBON CARBON CARBON CARBON

What a wonderful element is CARBON. How dare the ex-Labor Government tax "carbon", or what they really mean is "emissions of carbon dioxide". This week the Coalition will introduce to the Senate their Carbon Tax Repeal Bill to abolish this stupid legislation and hopefully Australia will return a tad to the way we were before ex-PMs Rudd and Julia came on the scene. We've got rid of them, so now let's get rid of their eco-religious bunkum.

Carbon is the most wonderful element in the Periodic Table. It forms more compounds than ALL the other elements put together, i.e., it makes up the subject of ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, which really makes the world go round. Methane or CH4 is a major fossil fuel in Australia, for domestic use and export. Oil is composed of more complex hydrocarbons which is the source of fuels for our cars, trucks, trains, ships and airplanes. When these fuels are burnt then CO2 and H2O are released to the atmosphere, and these molecules are entirely beneficial to mankind and the biosphere.

Both carbon dioxide and water are essential for plant growth, for crops and forests. It is madness for politicians to restrict "greenhouse gas emissions" to the atmosphere. We DO NOT WANT a low carbon economy, which equates with poverty, like as in past primitive societies. Let's see some sense in the Federal Senate this coming week. Merry Xmas from Allano

Friday, December 6, 2013

Barossa Wind Farm Project .. Get Lost


Pacific Hydro has planned a wind farm at Keyneton, South Australia. The site is located 6 km west of Sedan and 10 km SE of Angaston and runs about 15 kms North to South along the Mount Lofty Ranges. An application was submitted to the SA Development Assessment Commission (DAC) seeking approval of 42 turbines having a maximum height of 145.5 meters from the ground to the tip of the blade when vertical.

There were many objections by community groups in the Barossa Region with concerns about noise and health problems. The Labor Planning Minister John Rau says that the EPA studied noise levels and that there was no detectable concern, therefore approval has been given.

My advice to Pacific Hydro is to get lost and take all your wind farms with you. We don't want you or ANY of your wind farms (=WIND SCAMS) in South Australia.

Wind farms are just a scam that should NOT be allowed in South Australia. We should develop our extensive gas and coal resources for electricity generation and explore the use of nuclear power since in South Australia we have the largest uranium mine in the world. It is crazy of the present Labor Government to allow more wind farms to be built. Next March the state elections will allow the populace to vote out of office this Labor Premier Jay Weatherill and replace him and his hopeless Government with an adult and sensible Liberal Government. (Oz Liberal not US).

The new Coalition Government after March must stop all future wind farm developments and start to phase out Government subsidies to existing wind farms (ca 24) with the idea of demolishing them all within a decade. The turbines can be converted to scrap metal and their sites restored to the former pristine countryside. Wind farms need ca 100% backup by gas turbine generators so now electricity production will continued to be produced by burning gas and coal. The CO2 emissions are not pollution and will greatly benefit the biosphere and agriculture. A suitable goal would be to get the domestic price down to 20 cents/kWhr instead of the present 31 cents.