Advancing Alternative Energies by Providing Incentives to Traditional Power Producers

Thu, 10/07/08 - Robert_Pitts
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Giving existing power utilities preferential treatment to buy into renewable and/or energy efficient technologies should accelerate the necessary switch to low carbon power generation.

One variation on the carbon permits proposed by the Ross Garnaut  report would be to give base load power generators preferential ability to buy shares in alternative energy companies. Through a "carrot and stick" approach, traditional power companies could be persuaded to look upon alternative energy companies as sources of continuing and growing revenue rather than as competitors that are trying to eat into their market share and profits.

Rather than the punitive application of emission permits, traditional power producers should be offered offsets to invest in the expansion of "micro generation" alternative energy production and/or research and development in these areas rather than persisting with so-called "clean coal" and centralised power distribution.

Why Micro generation?

Energy losses from Power station to end consumer can range up to 78%  - primarily through heat and transmission losses. However, generation of power at the very point of consumption would save transmission costs and turn any heat produced into a useable resource rather than being wasted as is currently the practice.

Through an enhanced emissions trading scheme, centralised base load coal powered generators or gas companies would find it advantageous to actively invest in micro generation systems such as solar or (the very promising) ceramic fuel cells. Daytime electricity needs could be supplemented through solar cells on roofs while night time loads could be supplemented through combined heat and power units such as solid oxide fuel cells. Any power generated that is excess to the needs of the consumer would be sold back to the grid.

A Continuing and Permanent Ideas Database - A Must!

Sat, 03/05/08 - Robert_Pitts
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Australia needs a permanent, highly visible and accessible repository for ideas.

In 1988 I wrote to the then Minister for Science, Barry Jones and advocated the concept of a centralised ideas database. I envisaged a system where members of the public could submit ideas for inventions, models for governance, infrastructure improvements, etc. via phone, fax, mail or even the newfangled "email".  

My envisaged model was a system administered by universities who were probably the only bodies at that time with enough computing power to handle the influx of data. Since then, of course, there have been massive advances in internet technologies making such a system not only feasible but, I believe, imperative. It is sad to contemplate that there have doubtless been many creative ideas formulated by ordinary people which have withered and died for want of an avenue for expression.

HECS and Stopping the Brain Drain

Sun, 20/04/08 - Robert_Pitts
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Putting HECS payments into a trust fund and potentially rolling them over into superannuation may help to slow or prevent the "Brain Drain" from Australia.

There has been much talk about the HECS debt burden placed on students and how much it impacts on their lives. However, Australia suffers another problem with many of our best graduates being drawn overseas to pursue careers because of better remuneration.

An alternative which might help to address both of these problems would be to maintain HECS fees in trust for a period of say ten years after graduation. After that time, if the graduate has residence and a job within Australia, the HECS monies plus interest are rolled into the graduate's superannuation fund.

If however the graduate is employed outside Australia by a foreign company, their initial HECS fee is retained by the government for the benefit of Australia.

The incentive of a potential boost to future superannuation benefits and the disincentive of losing this money if employment is pursued overseas might help to encourage more students into university courses and slow the brain-drain from Australia.