I'm with PP on this one - if GDY can give the government the...

I'm with PP on this one - if GDY can give the government the promise of zero-emissions baseload electricity though proving concept then I'd be really surprised if the government didn't get on board.

They've already said no to nuclear (wisely in my opinion). Their critics may well be asking 'well then, how are we going to cut emissions without the nuclear option or without (that old chestnut) wrecking the economy?'.

The answer from the PM may go something like 'what Australia needs is a Snowy Scheme for the 21st century. As a government committed to avoiding dangerous climate change, we will support the development of the Cooper Basin as a national hub for geothermal research and development. With the funding we are announcing today, we are sending a clear message to the world that Australia is a leader in tackling climate change, and serious in reducing its carbon emissions.'

We may even get a percentage of how much of Australia's energy will come from geothermal.

I don't think it's that far away - all it needs is someone senior to decide that a large part of Australia's future baseload generation capacity is coming from that north-south heat anomoly and goodness knows where it might end.

As you can imagine, I think about this a lot (perhaps too much).

Anyway, hopefully this week's announcement isn't too far off.