Australia

A new report by Australia’s Climate Commission says that China is one of the world’s bright spots in global action to curb the effects of climate change. Though China remains the world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter, the report, The Critical Decade: global action building on climate change,  found that in 2012 China reduced the carbon intensity of its economy more than expected and almost halved the rate of growth for electricity demand.

According to the NPD Solarbuzz Q1’13 Asia Pacific Major PV Markets Quarterly report, PV demand in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region is forecast to grow to by 50 percent year-on-year 13.5-GW in 2013. China, Japan, India, and Australia will remain dominant for PV demand in the region, accounting for 90 percent of demand in 2013, however, discrete end-market demand environments are now evolving in each of these countries.

China's Shanghai Electric Power Generation Group has formed a strategic alliance with Australia's ocean energy company BioPower Systems. It will give the company valuable experience in the future growth of China's nascent sea power generating sector. According to BioPower's CEO the deal will allow it to take advantage of the Chinese company's financial and manufacturing clout to commercialize its bioWAVE technology.

Tasmania's collaborative relationship with China on renewable energy has been strengthened today with China’s Guohua Energy signing an agreement to purchase a 75 percent stake in the Musselroe Wind Farm.

A comprehensive new study has been published by Australia’s new Bureau of Resources and Energy Economics (BREE), providing “the best available and most up-to-date cost estimates” for 40 utility-scale electricity generation technologies between now and 2050, albeit under Australian conditions.