EU academy adjudicates hydrogen vs. electrification smackdown!

Let Me Sum Up

Is the recently announced Australia-US Climate, Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Transformation Compact going to mean Australia gets to ride the wave of the subsidy superbonanza Inflation Reduction Act rather than get dumped by it? Perhaps too soon to tell, but your intrepid hosts can always be relied on for a hot take!

*Shirtfranking with Frontie* includes a PSA for the very excellent app for ethical brand ratings, Good On You, and a rundown on known forced labour and modern slavery risks in cotton t-shirt supply chains. And because all roads lead to climate chat on this pod, there is an intersection with the manufacture of solar panels. Of course there is

This week’s deep dive is a GAS! Specifically, ‘The Future of Gas’, according to the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC). This paper found us heavily referencing our back catalogue (but neglecting to actually properly point to the episodes), so newer Summerupperers might want to check out these gems:

• On GWP20 v GWP100 - “Measure twice, cut nunce? Tackling methane from Aussie coal mines”
• On learning rates - “Ka-ching! Act now for huge learning rate savings!”
• On gas transition in Australia - “Infrastructure Victoria presents: A Very December 2021 Gas Report”
• On transport of hydrogen - “Elementary, my dear IRENA: Hydrogen transport”

Frankie’s One More Thing is the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis article on the latest cost estimates of the small modular nuclear reactor from NuScale and Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems. Hint: it’s gotten *way* more exxy, mostly due to construction supply chain cost increases. Prediction: it won’t be the last cost increase!

Tennant’s One More Thing is “Victoria’s 2035 Climate Action Target: Driving Growth And Prosperity”, the final report from the independent expert panel that recommended a 2035 target of an 80% emissions reduction on 2005 levels for Victoria. Hat tip to Tennant who served on the panel and to the Victorian Government for adopting their recommended target!

Luke’s One More Thing is the smorgasbord of climate stars who visited Australian shores to participate in the Energy Efficiency Council’s recent National Conference. Hear from heat pump aficionado Jan Rosenow by revisiting his appearance on ABC Radio doing energy technology: hot or not? And Jacques Morris from the UK’s Transition plan Task Force talking net zero transition plans at an Australian Sustainable Finance Institute event. Oh and Rob Murray-Leach's literal swan song at the Conference's Gala dinner after 14 years at the Energy Efficiency Council. We'll miss you Rob!

And that’s all from us this week Summerupperers! We shall see you next time and until then, please keep tweeting your thoughts to us at @LukeMenzel, @TennantReed and @FrankieMuskovic and if you would like to weave some golden threads through our back catalogue, give us your feelpinions or suggest papers to read we are always here for that - hit us up at [e-mail].