NZ Herald - Renewable energy 'cheaper than gas-fired plants'

Investment in renewable generation, especially geothermal and wind power, is already a better economic proposition than gas-fired plant, so a ban on the latter is not needed, Contact Energy says.

Its public affairs manager Bruce Parkes, appearing before the finance and expenditure select committee yesterday, said that also appeared to be the view of the sharemarket. Contact's share price had risen when it announced it was going to concentrate its investment on renewables and had shelved plans for another gas-fired plant at Otahuhu.

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"Renewables are by far the most economic proposition, especially geothermal. But the cost of wind and baseload gas is roughly equal with a carbon price of $23 and gas at $7 a petajoule, which is around the current price." But the upside risks were much greater for gas, he said.

News.com.au - Stressed homeowners raiding super

HOMEOWNERS making a final desperate grab to save their homes from repossession are raiding their superannuation at an alarming rate, new figures show.

More than $175 million was released from super funds last year to help homeowners pay their mortgages.

NineMSN - Inflation threat to world economy, IMF says

Global inflation has re-emerged as a major threat to the world economy, the International Monetary Fund said on Thursday in a stark warning that marked an abrupt change of tone from its emphasis on the risks to growth.

John Lipsky, IMF deputy managing director, said "inflation concerns have resurfaced after years of quiescence" due to soaring energy and food prices.

ABC - Low-carb cars

Rising oil prices and greenhouse gas emissions are pushing us to look at our motor vehicle use. But what are the alternatives and will they work in Australia?

Herald Sun - Oil a mining giant's crown jewel

RIO Tinto might or might not be worth breaking up. But it would be commercial recklessness bordering on insanity to take the oil and gas business out of BHP Billiton.
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When the old BHP went into the oil business in the 1960s, when the newer BHP flirted with spinning or selling it off in the late 1990s, nobody - and I mean nobody - saw China coming.

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As the BHPB presentation showed, China has been responsible for 42 per cent of the entire world's energy demand growth so far this century. And more than 36 per cent of the growth in global consumption of oil specifically.

And my nomination for the shortest-sighted project of the year (and I'm sure we all agree that it had some pretty stiff competition) is the notion that we should turn electricity into water:
Herald Sun - Desalination plant deal grows

THE public-private partnership to build the $3.1 billion Wonthaggi desalination plant will be extended to include supply of power, pipeline maintenance and operation, and the purchase of renewable energy offsets.

Live News - NZ Sliding Into Recession

In March New Zealand Finance Minister Michael Cullen and the Bank of New Zealand forecast a possible recession.

Mr Cullen said he couldn't rule out the possibility of a recession this year, while BNZ said the probability of two consecutive quarters of the economy going backwards - the classic definition of recession - was better than 50%, but it still expected economic growth of 1.4% for the year.

Science Alert - Bio-gas? China-size it

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You could open Pandora’s Box when explaining how oil dependant the farming, transport and processed food production industries are. Increased transportation costs to move food stuffs from field, to factory to your plate. Fertiliser and pesticide rely on natural gas and oil based chemicals for production, and farm machinery is run on liquid fossil fuels. The simplest equation is: higher crude oil prices = higher food costs.

China began using biogas digesters in earnest in 1958 in a campaign to exploit the multiple functions of biogas production, which solved the problem of the disposal of manure and improved hygiene.

Stuff.co.nz - Leay casts shadow on economy

Nelson entrepreneur Barrie Leay cast a foreboding shadow on the future of the Nelson economy at a luncheon in Nelson on Wednesday, but tempered it with a statement that we are now living in the most exciting time in history.
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He said the biggest problem facing humanity was the global shortage of water, but the planet was running into an energy crisis because "we have been using oil like it would never end".

Maybe a Kiwi can explain this one to me?
Scoop.co.nz - Octafuel Launches Hybrid Fuel System

Octafuel Launches Hybrid Fuel System To Fit 99.9% Of All Vehicles – Claims Of 30% Saving On Fuel Costs Good News For Motorists.

OctaFuel announced it officially launches in New Zealand on 1 June 2008 – which is welcome news to motorists of almost every type, given that OctaFuel’s new Retro-fitted Hybrid Fuel Cell technology fits 99.9% of all petrol and diesel vehicles, says Nick Conaglen, one of the co-founders of OctaFuel – and co-founder of other innovative New Zealand Start-up’s like One Hundred Dollars Cash and Invoice Advance New Zealand.

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The OctaFuel Hybrid Fuel System – which utilises proven technology that is growing increasingly popular among thousands of motorists in countries like Australia and Canada – converts excess vehicle heat and energy to Hydrogen – a gas. The gas produced provides up to 40% of a vehicle’s fuel needs.

The Age - Icon in talks to develop coal bed assets

Junior explorer Icon Energy Ltd says the company is in discussions with a number of parties about the development of its coal bed methane assets in Queensland.

Media Release, Tasmanian Goverment - New Phase in Tasmanian Oil and Gas Exploration

The Minister for Energy and Resources, David Llewellyn, has welcomed an announcement from Empire Energy Corporation, through its wholly owned subsidiary Great South Land Minerals (GSLM), of the company’s intention to pursue the next phase in the onshore search for oil and gas in the Tasmania Basin.

Mr Llewellyn has been advised that the company intends to submit the necessary applications to commence a drilling program in July this year, initially involving three wells at Bracknell, Tunbridge and Bellevue.

The proposed drilling program would involve up to eight (8) wells costing $31 million over the next year to test the petroleum systems of onshore Tasmania.