Rhosty, while it's certainly possible that Australia could rely on thorium fission for much of its future power, the combination of abundant renewable energy and low poulation density make it unlikely IMO. Remember the technology hasn't been commercialized yet, and if recent history is anything to go by, small nuclear reactors are less profitable than large ones. The fuel cost is low, but the building cost is high, the staffing cost is high and the waste management cost is high (albeit much lower than from fast and U235 reactors).

Ceramic fuel cells aren't as attractive as they first appear, as they only work at high temperatures and are expensive to produce.

Gas is already captured from organic waste of various kinds, including sewage.

As for transmission line losses, they're typically very small. 'Tis more likely that big grids will play an even greater role in the future; the challenge is to improve their ability to handle dispersed generation.

Is it too hard to go to the moon, eradicate smallpox or end apartheid? Is it too hard to build a computer that fits in your pocket? No? Then it's not too hard to build a clean energy future, either. http://clmtr.lt/c/R6Q0fz0c4z