Climate change sparks electricity change

Australia is to change the way it makes electricity, with huge new solar power
plants and cleaner coal facilities to be built.
The federal government will spend billions "greening up" electricity and says it
wants to lead the world in the field.
Emissions trading has been delayed so the government is forging ahead with other
ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
The climate change budget has been beefed up, despite tough economic times, to $15
billion over nine years.
Of this, $1.5 billion will be spent building up to four massive solar power plants
on a scale the world has not seen before.
Forget solar panels on household roofs, the solar farms, when put together, will
pump out as much electricity as a large coal-fired power station - 1,000 megawatts.
The money will be spent over six years and will go to plants which use solar thermal
or solar photovoltaic technologies.
But the government has not forgotten coal - Australia's biggest export - with $2
billion to be spent building between two and four industrial-sized coal-fired power
plants which use cleaner technology.
The plants will use Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technology, which captures the
carbon emissions from power plants and stores them underground.
The technology is still largely unproven but advocates hope it will clean up coal by
2020.
Previously the government has funded small CCS demonstration plants but now it's
rolling out the big guns.
The money, to be spent over nine years, will have Australia do its part in a global
deal to have 20 large CCS plants in operation by 2020.
As expected, the budget shows the government plans to start emissions trading in
2011. And it's delivering its promises to help households cut emissions through
measures like free ceiling insulation.
The budget has also provided $100 million for one regional city - it hasn't been
selected yet - to become a green energy showcase.
The money will pay for "smart meters" in homes, which can regulate electricity use,
and to integrate those meters with solar and wind power.
It's hoped the demonstration project will improve energy efficiency.
The budget has also set up a body, Renewables Australia, to spearhead green
technologies. It will mostly use existing funding.
The government has taken a hard look at its climate change programs and given them a
shake-up.
Many smaller programs have been axed, including grants to reduce methane emissions
from coal mines.
Some programs have been pared back, including $125 million slashed from a program
which offers green loans to households.
But the climate change kitty has grown - by $4.8 billion - as the government vows to
bring down Australia's emissions.
Australia recently promised to slash emissions by 25 per cent by 2020, if there is a
very strong international agreement on climate change.
Climate change minister Penny Wong said the budget aimed to make that possible.
"We will play our part in global efforts to address climate change through our
ambitious emissions reductions targets and support climate change science and
adaption initiatives," Senator Wong said.