Ethical Investing
Fears ‘free’ electricity could come with hidden costs
5 November
Energy retailers say they’ve been blindsided by reforms promising free electricity to hundreds of thousands of Australians during peak solar power hours. The Solar Sharer program, announced by the federal government on Tuesday, would give...[Read More]
Why 2026 could be the year cars drive down power prices
8 October
Fuel for nothing and your energy bills for free: that is the promise of vehicle-to-grid technology, according to Amber co-chief executive Dan Adams, who has been chasing its potential for a long time. “I’ve been working in this area for 18...[Read More]
Electric car U-turn puts low-emission options on track
8 October
Australian motorists are performing a U-turn on electric cars, with the low-emission vehicles representing more than one in every 10 new vehicles sold after a slow start to the year. The turnaround saw drivers purchase more than 12,000 new electric...[Read More]
Faster approvals considered in nature law overhaul
10 September
Housing, energy and infrastructure developments could be fast-tracked in some areas and blocked entirely in others under a major overhaul of Australia’s planning rules. The federal government is promising to enshrine “regional planning” in...[Read More]
Bright idea for businesses to power household bill cuts
13 August
Big buildings with empty rooftops could be the key to lowering power bills for Australian households and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, according to a trial proposed by a major energy firm. Ausgrid’s proposal, announced on Tuesday, would tap...[Read More]
1400 batteries in a day: Aussies soak up solar subsidy
6 August
Australian households are installing solar batteries at record rates, with more than 19,000 registered in a month. Figures released on Friday by market analysis firm SunWiz indicated consumers could more than double the number of home batteries...[Read More]
Heavy-hitter urges return of ‘world’s best’ carbon tax
23 July
Australia needs to bring back a carbon tax and should never have dumped the measure, an economic heavyweight says. Ex-Treasury secretary Ken Henry, now a leading environmental advocate, derided the Abbott-led coalition government’s decision to...[Read More]
EVs may be the way to drive down everyone’s power bills
16 July
Incentives for electric car owners to sell energy stored in their vehicles back to the grid could deliver a $230 million national windfall and make power cheaper for everyone. Modelling by the Electric Vehicle Council suggests a $3000 government...[Read More]
Australia must ‘throw everything’ at climate summit
9 July
Leaders need to “throw everything” at winning Australia’s bid to host a key climate summit as the nation finds itself in a global race to net zero. Australia has teamed up with the Pacific in a proposal to jointly host the 2026 United Nations...[Read More]
Power up: boost for roadside electric vehicle chargers
9 July
Recharging electric cars by the side of the road is expected to become easier in one state after a $5 million investment designed to spark more vehicle adoption. The NSW government plans to add another 549 car-charging facilities in 130 suburbs over...[Read More]
Sparks fly over competition in electric car charging
2 July
Letting energy companies install electric vehicle chargers on their power poles and charge all households for the equipment would be an anti-competitive move no government should consider, an inquiry has heard. The proposal, designed to accelerate...[Read More]
More EVs, fewer V8s: changes coming for Aussie drivers
2 July
A hybrid Lamborghini, an electric Rolls Royce, a convoy of low-emission people-movers and a rumble of battery-powered utes “that can actually tow things” will greet thousands of attendees to Australia’s latest motor show. More than 100...[Read More]
Aussies want solar batteries but many feel overwhelmed
25 June
Almost one in every three Australians feels overwhelmed by the process of choosing and installing a solar battery even as demand for the technology grows in the lead-up to a national rebate scheme. More than half of all Australians are also put off...[Read More]
‘Really attractive’: subsidies to charge battery boom
14 May
Battery installers are bracing for a busy period as households and businesses jump on Labor’s election promise to discount energy storage. Thirty per cent off the up-front price of batteries was a signature pledge of the returning Albanese...[Read More]
Drivers could pay more tax after electric car U-turn
30 April
The cost of buying an electric vehicle could rise by thousands of dollars for some motorists if fringe benefits tax rules are changed after the election. Automotive groups warn drivers in outer metropolitan suburbs could be hit hardest by the...[Read More]