Across the four states the total electricity generated during 2009 was 1.9 per cent lower than 2008. Coal was responsible for 87.8 per cent of all scheduled electricity generation, down from 88.9 per cent the previous year.
The share of gas‐fired generation rose from 8.4 to 9.3 per cent and the share of renewable generation increased slightly from 2.7 to 2.8 per cent.
The overall greenhouse intensity of scheduled electricity generation remained virtually identical to 2008.
In 2009, greenhouse intensity of electricity generation was 0.9267 tonnes CO2e per MWh. In 2008, it was 0.9282 tonnes CO2e per MWh.
In Victoria, electricity demand fell by 2.0 per cent in 2009 compared with the previous year.
Generation from brown coal‐fired generators increased by 1.1 per cent, while 27 per cent less electricity was produced from gas.
A fall in demand combined with a smaller decline in generation meant that Victoria's net export of electricity to other States was 73 per cent higher in 2009 than in 2008.
About 4.6 per cent of electricity produced in Victoria was exported in 2009 compared with 2.6 per cent in 2008.
In NSW, electricity demand fell by 1.2 per cent in 2009.
Generation from black coal‐fired generators in NSW fell by 6.1 per cent with gas‐fired generation achieving a 191 per cent growth due to new power stations being commissioned.
However, this was coming off a very low base of 0.6 per cent of total generation in 2008, rising to 1.7 per cent of generation in 2009.
Net imports from other states grew by 61 per cent compared with 2008 levels representing 5.6 per cent of overall electricity demand in 2009, up from 3.4 per cent in 2008.
In Queensland, electricity demand grew by 1.5 per cent this year compared with 2008.
Generation from black coal‐fired generators fell by 3.0 per cent while gas‐fired generation increased by 16 per cent.
The net export of electricity to other states from Queensland was 24 per cent less than the amount exported in 2008. In 2009, Queensland exported 8.1 per cent of the electricity it generated, down from 10.5 per cent in 2008.
In South Australia, electricity demand increased by 0.1 per cent in 2009.
Generation from coal‐fired generators fell by 2.8 per cent while electricity produced from gas‐fired generation was 11.5 per cent lower, meaning that total generation fell by 4.3 per cent in 2009.
Subsequently, South Australia went from being a marginal net exporter of electricity in 2008 to a net importer in 2009.....
Petroleum
Total emissions from petroleum‐based fuels were 95.630 million tonnes across all four states.
In contrast to the previous year, 2009 has seen a decrease in sales of petroleum‐based fuels across all states, except in SA.
Victoria was the state that had the greatest fall in emissions from petroleum, with emissions falling by 2.1 per cent or 540,000 tonnes.
NSW and Queensland only recorded slight reductions of 0.2 and 0.3 per cent respectively.
South Australia was the only state to register and increase – a marginal rise of 3000 tonnes or 0.3 per cent.
These reductions in petroleum sales come despite positive population growth in each of the states, and growth in Gross State Product in each state.
Across the different types of petroleum‐based fuels, results were mixed. Diesel sales were up across all states except for in Victoria were they fell.
Petrol sales fell in Victoria and Queensland, remained the same in NSW and increased in South Australia.....
National Overview of Petroleum
During the 12 months from October 2008 to September 2009, the use of petroleum‐based fuels across Australia produced 120.7 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.
This represents around 20 per cent of the Australia's total emissions.
This was a reduction of 1.6 million tonnes or 1.3 per cent on the previous 12 months and went some way to reversing a 2.9 per cent rise in emissions from petroleum based fuels between 2007 ‐ 08.
This decline in petroleum emissions occurred despite a rise in population of 2.1 per cent across the country.
The use of and resulting emissions from LPG, petrol, diesel and other fuels all fell this past year with the exception of aviation fuel, emissions from which saw a small growth of 0.1 per cent to 16.1 million tonnes .
It is likely that the fall in overall petroleum use and emissions is largely due to the global financial crisis, which has curtailed business and industrial growth, especially in heavy industry and resources sectors.
The GFC also affected consumer confidence....
New South Wales emissions for the week ending 14 Jan 2010*:
1.972 million tonnes CO2e
This year to date: 3.808 million tonnes CO2
Last year to date: 3.699 million tonnes CO2
* NSW’s emissions from energy grew by 13% or 136,000 tonnes due mainly to an increase in emissions from coal-fired generation. Emissions from coal-fired electricity, which accounted for 85% of electricity generation in NSW this week, grew by 11% or 118,000 tonnes with a number of generation units coming online to meet the higher demand. Electricity demand grew by 14%. NSW imported 6% of its electricity demand from other states, compared to 11% last week. Emissions from gas grew by 25% or 24,000 tonnes. Emissions from petroleum products fell by 0.8% or 5,000 tonnes. This week’s Indicator is 3.8% higher than the same week in 2009 and total emissions to this stage of 2010 are 3.0% higher than the similar stage last year. This week’s Indicator is 29% above the average equivalent 1990 weekly emissions and 11% above the equivalent 2000 weekly average.
I once read a very simple explanation of Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle applied to quantum mechanics which went something like this - you can make predictions about how x will behave over the long run but you can never say how x will behave over the short run.
