Research and Insights 2021
Reports and Working Papers
What is the relationship between household wealth and rooftop solar in Australia?
VEPC Working Paper WP21-11 by Bruce Mountain, Kelly Burns and Ben Willey • November 2021
Download the report (6.4mbs) by clicking on the image (left).
An analysis of the economics and greenhouse gas impact of Marinus Link and Battery of the Nation: 2021 update
A report by Bruce Mountain
This document updates our 2020 report 'Marinus Link and Battery of the Nation: Wrong Way Go Back'.
Download the report (6.4mbs) by clicking on the image (left).
An economic analysis of Local Use of System charges for neighbourhood batteries
VEPC Working Paper WP2109a by Bruce Mountain and Kelly Burns
Download the report (6.4mbs) by clicking on the image (left).
A review of the HumeLink project assessment conclusions report
VEPC Working Paper WP2109 by Bruce Mountain, Ted Woodley and Hugh Outhred
Download the report (6.4mbs) by clicking on the image (left).
Do wholesale electricity prices pass-through to consumers in contestable retail electricity markets? An examination in Victoria, Australia
VEPC Working Paper WP2108 by Kelly Burns and Bruce Mountain
Download the report (6.4mbs) by clicking on the image (left).
Is rooftop solar a play-thing of the well-to-do?
A report by Bruce Mountain and Kelly Burns
This paper is a critique of the argument and the evidence.
Download the report (6.4mbs) by clicking on the image (left).
The Kurri Kurri Power Station: charging taxpayers for hot air
A report by Bruce Mountain, Steven Percy and Ted Woodley • June 2021
This paper examines the merits of the $600M Kurri Kurri Power Station proposal announced by the Federal Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction on 19 May 2021.
Download the report (6.4mbs) by clicking on the image (left).
Analysis of the impact of proposals to charge solar homes to export electricity to the grid
A report by Bruce Mountain • April 2021
A critique of the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (AEMC) calculation of the impact of the network injection charge that the AEMC proposes that households with rooftop solar should pay when they export surplus rooftop solar generation to the grid.
Download the report (6.4mbs) by clicking on the image (left).
Inertia and system strength in the National Energy Market
A report by Bruce Mountain and Steven Percy • March 2021
An analysis of the supply and demand for “inertia” and “system strength”, which are two of the “essential system services” that keep the wheels of the interconnected power system turning. Report prepared for The Australia Institute by Professor Bruce Mountain and
Dr Steven Percy.
Download the report (6.4mbs) by clicking on the image (left).
Presentations, Webinars and Podcasts
BOOT comes to households: has the sharing economy arrived in Australia's electricity market?
Presentation by Director VEPC, Prof Bruce Mountain, State of Energy Research Conference • 8 December 2021
Download the PowerPoint presentation (2.9mb) by clicking on the image to the right.
The relationship between household wealth and rooftop solar in Australia
Victoria University, Research Talks Webinar, Episode 3 – Energy, 19 November 2021
Dr Kelly Burns, Senior Research Fellow, VEPC
Response to Catherine Waddams "A review of the energy price cap and the future of switching"
Presentation by Director VEPC, Prof Bruce Mountain, Beesley Lectures, Lecture 7 • 18 November 2021
Download the PowerPoint presentation (2.9mb) by clicking on the image to the right.
Residential solar uptake in the Asia-Oceania region: what roles do wealth,
building form and property ownership play"
National University of Singapore, Energy Studies Institute Webinar • 9 November 2021
Dr Kelly Burns, Senior Research Fellow, VEPC
The "solar wealth nexus": Should we believe the hype?
Curtin University, MSB Engage Webinar • 22 September 2021
Dr Kelly Burns, Senior Research Fellow, Victoria Policy Energy Centre, Victoria University
The good and bad of the solar export tax
Solar Insiders – A RenewEconomy Podcast, by Giles Parkinson and Nigel Morris • 31 March 2021
Bruce Mountain from the VEPC and Jonathon Dore from Solar Analytics join Solar Insiders to discuss the pros and cons of the proposed solar export tax.
Is rooftop solar a play-thing of the well-to-do? Reflections on the economic reasoning for and against local use of system charges
Presentation by Director VEPC, Prof Bruce Mountain and Dr Kelly Burns
ANU Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program Seminar • 3 August 2021
Download the PowerPoint presentation (2.9mb) by clicking on the image to the right.
Commentary
I chose the electricity retailer offering the best deal for my home. That's not what I got
Bruce Mountain, VEPC Director, The Conversation, 15 Nov
Eleven lessons from the blow out in costs for HumeLink transmission line
Bruce Mountain, Ted Woodley and Dr Hugh Outhred, Renew Economy, 26 Oct
Your household power bills could be 15% cheaper, if Australia's energy regulator was doing its job
Bruce Mountain, The Conversation, 28 Sept
Consumers will pay the hidden bill for Snowy 2.0
Bruce Mountain and Ted Woodley, The Australian Financial Review, 8 Sept
Solar tax counts cost of panels, but who will pay for Snowy 2.0?
Bruce Mountain, Renew Economy, 13 Aug
Bruce Mountain, Bruce Robertson and Ted Woodley, The Sydney Morning Herald, 12 May
Facts matter, and so does the size of the tariffs proposed for solar export tax
Bruce Mountain, Renew Economy, 29 April
The sun tax debate: misconception and false-accusation?
Bruce Mountain, Renew Economy, 8 April
Bruce Mountain, The Conversation, 31 March
Where is the proof that rooftop solar is being subsidised by non-solar households?
Bruce Mountain, Renew Economy, 26 March
Is rooftop solar really causing a network bottleneck?
Bruce Mountain, Renew Economy, 25 March
Subsidy or not, Yallourn deal will likely set a precedent for more coal closures
Bruce Mountain, Renew Economy, 17 March
Texas was a warning. Australia needs to rethink the design of its electricity market
Bruce Mountain, The Conversation, 26 Feb
Write-down shows AGL has read the writing on the wall
Bruce Mountain, The Sydney Morning Herald, 8 Feb
Do households respond to Time-Of-Use tariffs? Evidence from Australia
Kelly Burns and Bruce Mountain, Energy Economics, Volume 95, March