On a visit to LMS Energy's methane abatement plant in Sydney's Eastern Creek, I witnessed the process of converting landfill methane into renewable energy.
It's a testament to Australian ingenuity and innovation, and is so compelling, it might just change the way you think about rubbish.
LMS Energy is pioneering a future where gas from waste becomes clean, green energy. This Aussie marvel is lighting up more than 60 locations across the nation and is now exporting its technology to New Zealand and the United States.
This process captures methane created through decomposing waste and turns it into a reliable, continuous output of energy - exactly what is needed to provide baseload power. If not captured for energy production, that methane enters the atmosphere adding to greenhouse gas emissions.
But as too often seems to be the case, while LMS is busy turning methane into megawatts, there's a looming shadow over further technological solutions to emissions reduction.
The Albanese government has its sights set elsewhere, pushing forward with their wind and solar dreams which require 28,000 kilometres of transmission lines. It's a vision that threatens to slice through the heart of regional Australia like a chainsaw.
As the debate continues, The Nationals stand united in calling for a rethink. Our mantra at the last election was "technology, not taxes," and it's a line we still believe.
We need to embrace technologies like that utilised by LMS and ensure the regulatory environment supports sustainability of their business model. It's time we lift the ban on nuclear energy, opening the door to a market-driven exploration of its potential. Like methane capture, nuclear energy provides firm baseload power.
Consider Saskatchewan in Canada, a place not unlike our own resource-rich regions. They've decided to make the leap from fossil fuels to nuclear. What they've seen as a result is maintenance of jobs and industry, and lowering energy prices.
Globally, the nuclear uptake is growing, with more than 413 power plants around the world, and 61 reactors under construction. Meanwhile, Australia clings to a ban that feels more like a relic of a bygone era, than a policy fit for the future.
By sidelining nuclear, we're not just missing out on clean energy, we're slamming the door on private innovation that could energise our cities and heavy industries.
It's a farcical state of affairs when you consider we are clinging to a ban for no practical reason and creating a regulatory environment so precarious for companies like LMS Energy who transform waste into wattage, they are constantly fearful the settings will shift too far against them. If we don't open our minds and our regulatory environment to a bright future, we might end up being stuck in the energy dark ages.
- By Senator Perin Davey, deputy leader of The Nationals.
