CSG scrubbed

The phrase coal seam gas is to be wiped from official New South Wales documents, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

The paper quotes a leaked briefing note prepared for NSW Energy and Resources Minister Chris Hartcher that recommends the phrase CSG be replaced with the “natural gas from coal seams”

The document says the move is designed to “improve clarity and consistency of the terms used to describe coal seam gas in departmental correspondence, communication and content”

Sir Humphrey Appleby could not have put it any better.

Baw Baw bothers

Baw Baw Shire Mayor Murray Cook says he is concerned about coal exploration slated for the township of Yarragon.

Green Power Energy has confirmed it plans to drill for coal on a Yarragon man’s property, ABC News reports.

Cook said he was concerned by the plans but would wait until the council prepared a report on mining issues.

“Yes, I think the operational word there is yet and … council has had briefings on coal seam gas drilling and we’re waiting on a report and out of that debate will come a council decision and hopefully that reflects the community attitude towards it,” the ABC quotes him as saying.

Germany’s green energy cost

Ironically Germany, one of the pin-ups of the renewable energy world, suffered an increase in its greenhouse gas emissions last year.

According to a Financial Times article, it was the increasing generation from coal-fired power stations that led to the carbon dioxide emission increase.

Coal, it appears, has become cheaper to operate than gas and this could be because of its push towards renewable energy.

The FT writes that utilities are considering shutting down their modern, efficient gas-fired plants because the rapid expansion of solar and wind power leaves them with little to do on sunny and windy days.