Australia’s energy transition is in trouble
The government is suddenly rushing to prop up coal
HUGE OPEN-CUT coal mines carve up the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. For decades the fuel extracted from them has been hauled by train to nearby power stations, keeping lights on across south-eastern Australia. But their turbines are winding down. One ageing coal plant shut in April. Three others in New South Wales are due to close within a decade. The state is jettisoning coal so fast it is attempting an “industrial revolution in 15 years”, said its energy minister, Penny Sharpe.
Explore more
This article appeared in the Asia section of the print edition under the headline “Lucky but sooty”
Asia October 21st 2023
- How remote islands underpin Japan’s maritime power
- Social-media influencers are battling to educate young Indians about sex
- India’s Supreme Court refuses to recognise same-sex marriage
- Has Australasia lurched right on race?
- Australia’s energy transition is in trouble
- South Korean chipmakers get a reprieve
- India-Pakistan relations are becoming more marginal and worse
From the October 21st 2023 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionMore from Asia
Who is Lee Jae-myung, South Korea’s possible next president?
The Economist interviews the divisive progressive leader
Is Cambodia slipping out of China’s orbit?
A new generation of leaders could be more receptive to the West
Why Taiwanese youth complain of becoming “housing slaves”
A new generation is questioning the value of homeownership
The Quad finally gets serious on security
The Indo-Pacific coalition signals a tougher approach to China
Taiwan’s political drama is paralysing its government
Domestic dysfunction plays right into China’s hands
An angry culture war surrounds Australia Day
Conservatives claim that wokeness is destroying the national holiday