Mr Combet’s Sun God Comments on the Clean Energy Legislation

SUMMARY This Submission argues first, that at the proposed starting level of the carbon tax ($23 per tonne of carbon dioxide), there will be insufficient incentive on its own either for existing power generators to invest in wind and/or solar power, or for largescale production of power by wind and solar generators, unless there is either a higher tax or additional direct subsidies like feed-in tariffs at well above even the retail price of electricity. Secondly, it shows that Australians have such a strong demand for electrical and electronic goods that the carbon tax and income compensation package is most unlikely to get them to give up on new plasma TVs and computers in favour of more beer or garden furniture Thirdly, it shows from actual experience in Ireland and Germany that there are limits to the degree to which wind power can replace conventional hydrocarbon power without resulting in increased emissions of CO 2 as more and more generators have to be on standby, emitting but not producing power, in case there is a run of windless days. Texas had brown outs last month because its wind generators failed during the hottest but windless days, and there was insufficient backup. Fourthly, Australia's " Clean Energy " Bill avoids all mention of the emissions that result when thermal hydrocarbon power stations are in wind power backup mode without delivering and selling power. Why should they be subject to the carbon tax on their emissions when they are performing an unpaid vital social service? Finally, my Submission shows that the " Clean Energy " legislation is a solution in search of a problem. My statistical analysis (now under peer review) shows both that the actual trend of global average temperature since 1948 is much lower than claimed, so is unlikely on the current trend to rise by as much as 2 oC even without any emission reduction schemes being implemented, and also that there is no statistically significant evidence for increasing atmospheric CO2 playing any role in the observed very slight increase in global temperature since 1948.