Upgrading our existing coal thermal fleet to increase efficiency and flexibility could provide a cost-effective opportunity to add dispatchable capacity and lower the overall carbon intensity of our electricity sector.
A quick note about the need to avoid focusing on average emissions intensity (for the wrong reasons) and losing sight of the fact that it’s the emissions intensity of the next marginal unit of production that should be used for making short-term consumption decisions (if the objective is reducing your environmental footprint, as an energy user).
Our guest author (Don Sands) compares and contrasts 9 different methods used for measurement of carbon emissions at thermal power stations
Some analysis of carbon emissions for large generation portfolios in the NEM, and comparison with prior post about wind production levels.
Now that we’re through the first week of Australia’s new Carbon Tax, we thought it would be of interest to have a look at whether there has been any significant change in dispatch patterns across the NEM as a result….
Some analysis prompted by a short article in the AFR talking about a reduction in emissions over summer 2009-10 (with the possible implication being that emissions have turned the corner).