Leadership! Australia's Resources Minister: "Find Me A Solar Panel That Works In The Dark"

[hatrack]

EDIT

The Nationals party room met on Thursday evening to consider structural adjustment principles to put to Scott Morrison in exchange for supporting a net zero emissions reduction target. Earlier, in parliament, Pitt laughed off a question about his previous public statements questioning the efficacy of renewable energy.

Asked whether he still believed that wind, solar and battery technology didn’t work and whether investments in renewable energy delivered little more than a “warm and fuzzy feeling”, Pitt declared: “Find me a solar panel that works in the dark.” “I say to those opposite are you seriously suggesting that when there’s no sun, solar works? This is just a fundamental fact.” Pitt, a champion of Australia’s coal and gas industry, has expressed deep reluctance to adopt the mid-century target.

Nationals met for close to an hour on Thursday evening ahead of talks between their leader, Barnaby Joyce, and Morrison about the terms of any agreement within the Coalition about new climate policy commitments to be unveiled ahead of the Cop26 conference in Glasgow. Four Nationals ministers – Pitt, Bridget McKenzie, David Littleproud and Kevin Hogan – have coordinated the wishlist that is now with Morrison.

The four addressed their colleagues on Thursday evening and Joyce emphasised the fact that the party room owned the principles as opposed to the process being a captain’s call. Some MPs asked questions. But Nationals MPs were not given a copy of the document which is said to run to three pages. Most outside the group of four ministers, and the leader, are unaware of its contents. Some Nationals MPs were perplexed on Thursday evening about why the party room had even met given the contents of the wishlist were not distributed for discussion.

EDIT

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/21/nationals-mp-says-solar-wont-work-in-the-dark-as-party-makes-wishlist-for-supporting-net-zero-target

[Finishline42]

1. South Australia and renewables

South Australia set sights on stunning new target of 500% renewables

South Australia’s Liberal state government predicts the state could boast more than 500 per cent renewable energy by 2050 as it becomes a national and international exporter of clean energy.

South Australia has sourced a world-leading 60 per cent of its local grid demand from wind and solar over the past 12 months and aims to reach “net 100 per cent renewables” by 2030 – a target that even federal energy minister Angus Taylor admits could be largely achieved by 2025 (according to his department’s most recent emissions projections).

Now, the South Australia government wants to go even further, suggesting in its newly unveiled climate action plan that green hydrogen has the potential to deliver six times more clean energy than its annual electricity consumption that it could export to other states and countries.

“South Australia’s transition to a net zero emissions economy and a national and international exporter of clean energy could mean achieving a level of renewable energy that is more than 500 per cent of current local grid demand by 2050,” says the document, launched by environment minister David Speirs on Wednesday.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/south-australia-set-sights-on-stunning-new-target-of-500-pct-renewables-97917/

[Mickju]

2. He's ever heard of batteries

[hunter]

3. He's an idiot. Solar power pretty much ensures the long term viability of the natural gas industry.

It's a symbiotic relationship.

He's just bellowing for his friends in the coal industry.

[Finishline42]

4. What about generating Hydrogen from excess wind and solar?

Isn't that the wildcard that takes out nat gas and coal?