Energy White Paper: Will Australia’s High Cost Disease Prove Terminal?

There's a distinct sense of déjà vu around the Government's energy white paper. The paper confirms the tremendous opportunity Australia has as an energy economy while also conceding that high project costs are affecting Australia's global competitiveness.

The paper's findings have merit, but they are certainly not new. Australia's energy problems have been well-known for a long time. What is missing is an agreed set of actions from both the states and the Federal Government to fix them.

When it comes to energy it's too easy to assume Australia is sitting pretty.

We are resource rich and already supply 2.5 percent of global energy. By 2035 the world will demand 40% more energy than it does today, with our regional neighbours, particularly China and India, accounting for most of that extra consumption. In response, Australia's energy production is expected to double in the next two and half decades.