Energy Efficiency

So what does Pakistan and Australia have in common as far as energy production go?

Both may well run out of a key liquid; oil for Pakistan and water for Australia, specifically Victoria.

Pakistan may plunge into the worst imaginable energy crisis as virtually all their refineries are teetering on the verge of financial default and may close down operations as you read this; all the oil refineries of the country – currently working on a negative gross revenue margin and with their borrowing limits already exhausted – are likely to shut down within the next two weeks following their expected default to retire the existing L/Cs to import crude oil.

The shutdown would mean no oil supplies for thermal power generation plants and the picture turns outright dark.

NGF (National Generators Forum) has warned Victorian power supplies could be under threat unless the big dry breaks, Latrobe Valley’s coal-fired power stations in eastern Victoria supply 85 per cent of the state’s power, but need 140 billion litres of water each year to operate.

In my guide to energy efficient house design (2001) I made the observation that two liquid ‘golds’ would ‘run out’ and Victoria is at the leading edge (given its population density per head of population).

Victorians of late have been suffering heat not previously recorded as the weather patterns – brought about by climate change – bite and rainfall diminishes and the population grows.

Less electricity generated and financial commitments will result in price hikes. Political lack of comprehension surfaced when Minister for The Bleeding Obvious – Deputy Premier Rob Hulls – said the Government was doing all it could to safeguard the state’s electricity supply, but ‘we can’t make it rain, obviously; we all hope it rains, but as a Government we can’t make it rain, but we’re certainly in discussions with power companies over supplies’.

Peak Population has occurred and corporate government is largely – through lack of intelligence and forward planning – to blame.  Increased immigration exasperates the problems.