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The Rudd Government will seek bids in October from consortia interested in bidding for its $100 million large-scale ‘smart grid’ demonstration project, according to project manager Graeme Marshall of the federal environment department.
Smart grids, underpinned by smart meters, are designed to handle two-way flows of data and power.
Advocates say smart grids will pave the way [...]

QUEENSLAND households are set to be hit with higher power prices at the time of day they want to use electricity the most – the morning and early evening.
The State Government has ordered the Queensland Competition Authority to investigate a new system of power pricing that ramps up costs at peak times.
Such a scheme would [...]

Local residents yesterday (22 June) had the undivided attention and support of local councillors, when they shone the spotlight on the single biggest challenge facing Sunshine Coast Regional Council’s new vision to become Australia’s most sustainable region.
Invited to present at council’s General Meeting, members of the Powerlines Action Group of Eumundi (PAGE) told councillors of [...]

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has flagged regulatory reforms, more action by state-owned energy utilities and a push to prepare ‘clean energy plans’ for major residential and commercial developments as part of a plan to generate 2,635MW from clean energy by 2020.
In 2008, renewable energy accounted for about 6% (745MW) of Queensland’s total installed generation capacity, [...]

Energy conservation and demand management is “an industry imperative”, Terry McConnell of Queensland electricity distributor Energex told a Sydney energy efficiency seminar on Friday.
“I don’t believe that we as an industry can continue to stand by and spend money at the rate we are doing to build poles and wires that are not being used [...]

The draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) released for 70 kilometres of high voltage powerlines and pylons proposed for Woolooga to Eerwah Vale has come under fire from environmental experts.
Five specialists have spoken out against the impact assessment, including environmental scientist and director of ATP Environmental Adam Presnell, in a submission by the Powerlines Action Group [...]

Today, one of the biggest players in communications, Cisco Systems, has announced an ambitious plan to position itself as the centerpiece of the Smart Grid. The company briefed SGN in advance of its announcement. SGN Founding Editor Jesse Berst analyzes what Cisco is planning and what it means for other players.
Telecom powerhouse Cisco Systems has [...]

The smart network would send its data through the power network

Global electricity networks could become smart grids that can help us monitor and control our energy usage, if plans from net firm Cisco take off.
The giant US firm, whose technology helps underpin the net, is building a two-way link into electricity grids.
Smart grids would [...]

Covering Letter
Powerlines Action Group Eumundi (PAGE) is a community group formed to ensure that the wider community interests are served when considering how to provide energy for sustainable development on the Sunshine Coast.
With this in mind, PAGE wish to work constructively with the Queensland Government and its agencies to deal with the two key issues [...]

The Bligh Government is clearly still ignoring local communities on a whole range of issues from energy to water and the environment. Despite Anna Bligh saying that she was listening to community concerns and that she will be there for us, the Bligh Government’s actions and inactions speak louder than words.
PAGE has asked the Bligh [...]