Perspectives and Challenges in Energy Law and Policy

Last week IRENA released a new report on the Geopolitics of Renewable Energy.

This report is of considerable importance as it argues that the global renewable energy revolution towards clean energy presently underway will have profound impacts on the relations between nation States.

The report has received little attention to date in the Australian media and the national political debate. This is unfortunate as it argues that “States that rely heavily on fossil fuel exports [i.e. Australia] and do not adapt to the energy transition will face risks and lose influence”.

At the ANU, we are investigating the implications and potential of a proposed electricity interconnection between Australia and Asian neighbours including Indonesia and Singapore.

Both Australia and Indonesia are major fossil fuel exporters. The disruptive proposal, the Asian Renewable Energy Hub, proposes the export of large amounts of renewably generated electricity to Asia, from a huge wind and solar farm in the Pilbara, via high voltage DC cable.