A tale of two tipping points

The government is apparently in denial about the loss of industry and is obsessed with the golden economic opportunities that beckon when we become a wind and solar superpower.

Net Zero enthusiasts are fortified by the belief that the election result demonstrates overwhelmingly popular support for Net Zero and the Opposition will be in the political wilderness as long as Net Zero sceptics keep rocking the boat.

That is wishful thinking because the Coalition did not provide an attractive alternative energy policy. The nuclear ploy backfired under the impact of blatant Labor lies about the cost. Ultimately, the Coalition offered the prospect of increasing power prices based on a mix of all sources, including nuclear, with the prospect of cheaper power in the very distant nuclear future.

That was one of the four scenarios sketched by the Page Institute

Net Zero with 100 per cent renewable energy is the most expensive, followed by the AEMO Integrated System Plan, then the 'all of the above' Coalition scenario.

The fourth pathway calls for new coal power from state-of-the-art, highly efficient generators. This calls for less capital expenditure than the other options and it is the only one that delivers cheaper power, possibly as much as a 25 per cent reduction in the retail price). And there is more, it terminates the pillage of forests and farmlands that will continue under all the other plans.

That looks like a winning trifecta when the Coalition lives up to its name and forms a united front to boldly and consistently explain the options to the punters.