The Government's energy hierarchy: Four categories of...

The Government's energy hierarchy: Four categories of technology

While the Government will focus almost all of its efforts on the five priority low-emissions technologies, the roadmap includes a hierarchy of other technological approaches to reducing emissions.

The Government will look to remove barriers to "emerging and enabling technologies", such as energy efficiency and electric car charging infrastructure.

"Emerging and enabling technologies will be included in the mandates of our technology investment agencies," Mr Taylor told the National Press Club.

"Over time they may become priorities for us or they may drop off all together."

One Nationals Senator thinks the Government's policy should focus on existing coal and fracking technologies.(ABC News: Freya Michie)

There will be a "watching brief" approach to prospective technology being developed overseas, like small modular reactors and direct air capture.

On the bottom rung is solar, wind, coal and gas, all of which have been categorised as "mature technologies" that the Government will only invest in when there is a clear market failure or where it would save jobs.

The Federal Government last week threatened to develop a gas power plant in the Hunter Valleyto counter the closure of the Liddell coal-fired power station in 2023,but the Prime Minister later toned down the ultimatum.

Nationals Senator Matt Canavan told Sky News the Government's energy policy should instead be focused on coal and fracking.

"I think it would be much better for us to prioritise technologies we know will work to create jobs today," he said.

"Things like high efficiency, low emissions coal fired power stations, fracking."

Mr Taylor will announce a hierarchy of technologies, with electric car chargers highlighted as a focus of the Government.(Facebook: Tiritum)

Shadow Energy Minister Mark Butler described the roadmap as "useful" but argued it was not a comprehensive energy policy.

"There's nothing in this roadmap that hasn't been very well understood for years," he said.

"To make an actual difference to Australian households and businesses you don't need a description of technology that's happening in the private sector around the world, you need an energy policy.

"You need investment rules that will actually see this technology built rather than just be written about."

Big business on advisory panel to shape technology investment roadmap

Each year, the Energy Minister will deliver a "Low Emissions Technology Statement" to Federal Parliament setting out the challenges, opportunities and priorities in reducing carbon emissions.

To advise the minister, a permanent advisory council will be formed with representatives from government agencies and big business.

It will include the chairs of ARENA, the CEFC and the CER, along with the Chief Scientist Alan Finkel, CSIRO chair Drew Clarke and Department of Infrastructure Deputy Secretary Jo Evans.

They'll be joined on the advisory council by four business leaders — Macquarie Group chief executive, Coca-Cola Amatil Managing Director, Australian Gas Industry Group chief executive, and the author of a government report on emissions — and former president of the Business Council of Australia — Grant King.

Posted21SepSeptember2020,updated23SepSeptember2020