Rachel Williamson
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racheljourno.bsky.social
Rachel Williamson
@racheljourno.bsky.social
1.2K followers 87 following 100 posts
Founder of PHASE3 podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0D0CJ8feojwnHEJLFtOEL9 Now deep diving into renewable energy for Renew Economy and charging policy for The Driven. All posts deleted after 3 months.
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Consultation fatigue is a real issue. Pay people for their time. Give them ways to find the answers to questions without having to go on social media. These aren't outlandish ideas. #energy 🌏
reneweconomy.com.au
On the Nats promoting views that are fictitious, I was talking to a landowner last week who lives near Barnaby Joyce's farm. He says him and his neighbours have had so many talks with Joyce to try to at least stop him from badmouthing the project on their land, to no avail
They are, but their stories aren't the ones being elevated in news, because why protest with witty signs when you're not discontented? Also social media has a lot to answer for, hence why there's a senate inquiry into astroturfing etc happening right now
Renewable energy development is the single biggest transfer of wealth to regional Australia in generations. It is doing what governments have said they want to do for decades.

But the PR campaign that it's actually a huge impost on the regions is the message that is winning. #energy 🌏
reneweconomy.com.au
Two coal power units in Victoria tripped on Thursday and nobody realised, because a gigawatt of wind and solar was available to step into the breach.

Six of the state's 10 coal units were out neatly replaced by batteries, renewables, and a bit of gas.
#energy #climate
reneweconomy.com.au
A photographer was caught camping just onshore on a privately owned island in Tasmania. So what? It's the subtext, involving a much-hated wind proposal, that makes it a story. #climate #wind #energy
reneweconomy.com.au
Reposted by Rachel Williamson
I took a look at the scandal involving a leaking gas tank that may have sunk a $36bn oil and gas deal, and called into actions of every regulator that was told about it in this week's @thesaturdaypaper.com.au.
“It says something broader about how far the fossil fuel industry will go in service of profit rather than communities,” Kirsty Howey says. “People feel betrayed, they feel lied to, and they feel outraged – as they should.” satpa.pe/t9XOxsE
Secrecy over leaking gas tank sinks Santos deal
A methane leak that remains unchecked helped derail what would have been the biggest all-cash takeover in Australian corporate history.
satpa.pe
The coal lobby wants environmentalists locked up, the farmers are saying they're being attacked by bots, and a certain think tank is strongly denying links with cashed up Americans.

This inquiry has *everything*. #climate #energy
reneweconomy.com.au
It could be and you'd be right to do so, but having been pregnant twice and gone through the mental load of sifting every single piece of information, this is more deeply personal and makes me really fucking angry (again). Lived experience and all that
This is in The Australian now, casting doubt on the use of paracetamol in general and for pregnant women. This was high up on the website.

I'm used to seeing this paper report things about climate and energy that aren't true. But doing so about approved medicines is... I have no words #tylenol
So is Queensland in Australia. But there are pockets of good things happening in the US. It’s grim now but it can come back. Even Texas is chasing rooftop solar now
100% renewables on a grid is impossible and will result in the collapse of all things holy 🤷‍♀️

Well, it won't and SA hit 155% renewables on the weekend and is still, as far as I know (‪@sedvitae.bsky.social‬?), functioning. So there's the answer to your doubters #energy
reneweconomy.com.au
This project was set for a pine plantation, not a native forest.
Reposted by Rachel Williamson
In every other context, China is a mate.

But when it comes to cybersecurity people were saying to me yes China is the big threat, "but please do not associate my name in any way with that view".

Instead, there were many obvious references to nation state threats.
#energy #cybersecurity
No one likes to say it, but China is the cybersecurity elephant in the renewable energy room
Cybersecurity is emerging as a risk in large scale and small scale renewables, with some suggesting the solar switch-off mechanism makes a hacker’s life easy.
reneweconomy.com.au
In every other context, China is a mate.

But when it comes to cybersecurity people were saying to me yes China is the big threat, "but please do not associate my name in any way with that view".

Instead, there were many obvious references to nation state threats.
#energy #cybersecurity
No one likes to say it, but China is the cybersecurity elephant in the renewable energy room
Cybersecurity is emerging as a risk in large scale and small scale renewables, with some suggesting the solar switch-off mechanism makes a hacker’s life easy.
reneweconomy.com.au
To be fair, it really is
I can't claim any credit for pic decisions, that's all the editor :) But as a general thing, I say absolutely it must be credited to you and your team. Its disheartening to think that publications might not
They are two who are known funders, but the concern is also about difficult-to-trace funds from foreign and domestic sources. The concern is that wealthy foreign interests are polarising genuine grassroots debates in Australian for their own purposes
Basically. Researchers at UTS joined the dots last year, but didn't have the reach or protection to definitively complete the picture.
I'd suggest reading the story... these new benefits were first proposed in 2021 and just endorsed by Vicgrid this month. So it does look like the company was pushed rather than jumped. In saying that, these things take time to design