High-Energy Dreaming

In Superpower Ross Garnaut stakes his reputation on renewable energy in Australia becoming cheap and reliable enough to supply Australia and power a heavy-industry renaissance in our regions. But is it credible?

It’s an important question, because Labor leader Anthony Albanese echoed Garnaut in his Perth headland speech in October 2019:

We have the highest average solar radiation per square metre of any continent … We also have some of the best wind and wave resources … Australia can be the land of cheap and endless energy—energy that could power generations of metal manufacturing and other energy intensive manufacturing industries.

Ross Garnaut is a high priest of Australia’s economic and public policy establishment. He was Prime Minister Bob Hawke’s economic adviser, was ambassador to China, and the list in his CV of policy, academic, diplomatic, business and other roles goes for pages. He founded renewables company Zen Energy. It is now controlled by Greensteel…