Peter Andren (Calare, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. Is the Prime Minister aware of a confidential cooperative research centre report by five CSIRO scientists which reportedly states that solar thermal technology has the capacity to produce Australia’s entire current electricity demand and could be cost competitive with coal within seven years? Given that the Newcastle company Solar Heat and Power has been forced to move to the US to obtain development support for this technology, can the PM explain whether this report will be placed on the energy options table? Don’t its findings that solar thermal is poised to play a significant role in baseload generation in Australia contradict your assertions that clean coal and nuclear are our only feasible baseload energy options?

John Howard (Bennelong, Liberal Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I do not know the detail of that particular study, off the top of my head, but I am perfectly happy to have it examined and put into the mix. I have to say to the honourable member that the view that solar can produce baseload power would be at odds with the overwhelming bulk of scientific opinion.