Well, they say they have developed a policy to.... something, but what is it?. No Energy Guarantee sounds about right. It is not within my ken to talk about policy or the economics or the feasibility of political babble; nor is their any point in my reading this very wordy article. All I can say is that I do not trust any Australian politician or bureaucrat to provide me with reasonably priced, reliable electricity or gas. Why? Because they have sold Australians and Australia down the drain by not standing up to eco-lunatics and liars, private (mainly foreign) price-gouging gangsters (posing as companies); and they have deliberately stopped using the cheapest power source on earth – coal – for no good reason other than cowardice in the face of green lunatics and rent-seekers. Perhaps they are even benefiting personally for screwing families and old people.

What a bunch of traitorous scum Australian politicians have become.

I like simple! Why? Because it's simple! And solving complex issues with the simplest solutions the real genius!

Simplicity is the most transparent! During the fifties and the sixties it was simple. You'd swear every Premier had a sign on his desk reading, keep it simple stupid.

And wherever possible that how we did energy. None more simple than Latrobe. Just build a very large power station right beside an enormous deposit of brown coal.

Keep everything in public hands and only involve private players as contractors or tendering contractors! Just ignore the oxymoron, shovelled by the shipload, that private players do it better!

Make sure the wages growth never ever exceeds inflation! So we had a model that contained costs and supplied reliable affordable power!

Emerging nations saw this and thought, I'll have what she's having! And that worked for a while, to the point, we needed to export coal.

And as we did, various political figures got into the energy business? And to the point, where they've too much skin in the game to get out?

But exactly what they need, or their trust instruments need to do!

Just so we can end this stupidity and ultra complexity, the desk signs warned us to avoid! As the pragmatists in India China Indonesia and South Africa are observing. With development of peaceful nuclear energy TBC.
Alan B.

Cont: And we'd look diabolically dumb if or when near neighbour Indonesia, plus Brazil and South Africa and many others, beat us to this particular punch?

Then moribund morons if a particular, anti western, anti Christian, anti Buddhist general about to retire, became their next El presidente? With nuclear power at his fingertips and missile development well under way? And forms some unholy alliance with China/Russia/and?

What then of the umbrella guaranteed by our alliance with the USA and just as reliable as the, Rus'Putin's "gentleman" now swaggering around the white house?

For mine that leaves us with no other option than go nuclear! As walk away safe, molten salt thorium in particular!

And given I've laid chapter and verse why, on many occasions, even as late as yesterday. If you're not convinced by my rationale and the peer reviewed and validated evidence I almost alone bought to the table by now? Or energy prices, possibly as low as 1.98 cents P.K.H?

Then as a continuing effort, just go dig a great big hole in the bottom of the very, very deep (dead buried and cremated) one we are in now! It's the economy Stupid!

Bring on the next election!
Alan B.

Thank you, Ttbn, I completely agree with your befitting first comment.

Yet, coal production should still be gradually phased out.
Not by force.
Not because it contains carbon and all that stupid "climate change" hoax.
It should just happen automatically as we reduce human population and excess activities while leaving some energy for the future intelligent species on earth.

---

«Will 'responsibility' be delivered by slower economic growth – or worse – rather than lower emissions intensity? Is that really 'responsible'? China wouldn't accept this option. Neither would India, or Indonesia, or many others. Why should we?»

Certainly not because of this "emissions" nonsense, but perhaps because slower economic growth, opting out of this mad economic rat-race, is a good idea regardless!

A 350 M.W light water reactor will need during its life, some 2551 tons of fuel and create somewhere north of 2,000 tons of radioactive waste, needing thousands of years of storage?

Compare that with a molten salt thorium reactor? Needs only 1 ton of thorium for the same energy output for the entire life of the reactor!

And thorium abundant enough in the topsoil to power the planet for a thousand years, with CARBON FREE thorium energy! Thousands more if we mine it from igneous rock!

Moreover, the thorium waste, if not used in very long life, space batteries, becomes stable in as little as ten years!

Yes it's not a benign process and needs adequate shielding! Concrete walls plenty good enough!

Besides molten salt, thorium, operates at near normal atmospheric pressure! Therefore needs neither astronomically expensive, high pressure containment vessel, nor expensive hardened building.

And can be produced as mass produced factory built modules. We could export to the world! All we need is the template!

In light of all that, projected costs as low as 1.98 cents as the median are believable. Or free if used as waste burners, burning other folks waste/unspent fuel!

Coal was able to get down to 3 cents P.K.H but only with R.O.M coal and unshackled from Private Player, dividend and debt servicing!

Given I have worked in a coal fired power plant in a science related capacity. I'm here to tell coal addict, ttbn, to try talking from a little higher up!

Except when you tell us you know nothing of economics nor politics, which is very, very believable!

Makes one wonder why they don't put you in charge of the country? And a distinct improvement on the trembling in timid trepidation, negatively geared, inmates in charge there now?

I hope I've ex-plane-d thorium well enough for even you?
Alan B.

Socialist countries once thought that prosperity could be created simply by decreeing that it must appear. Today, socialists of the Liberal and Labor parties in Australia think that affordable base load electricity can be created simply by decreeing that it also must somehow appear.

Neither the Liberals or Labor are fit to run this country unless they focus upon the critical need to start building some damned power stations right now. Without delay. And I don't mean those stupid wind farms or solar farms. Start planning right now to get some coal or nuclear power stations on line, or both of your leaderless parties will face the wrath of an increasingly angry electorate when their homes begin blacking out, and all our manufacturing has moved to Asia