This study follows an earlier conceptual level investigation that examined the potential for geothermal heating of mine ventilation air in the Saskatchewan potash mining industry. That investigation showed geothermal heating to be technically simple and an
economic means for reducing natural gas consumption and mine heating energy costs. The findings confirmed the generally favourable technical and economic conditions fo~ geothermal heating except for one important area relating to tax . This concerns the Provincial Resource Payment Agreement, or
PRPA, a form of royalty payment to the provincial government that imposes a further level of taxon income. The graduated portion of the PRPA effectively limits retained savings, after-tax, ta between 10 to 30t of each dollar saved rather than the 50 to 60t normally remaining after payment of
conventional corporate taxes.
To achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, Australia must decarbonise the energy sector and other sectors. The 'energy transition' is driven by policy-led construction of renewable infrastructure and regulation changes. However, no holistic analysis of the path forward currently exists. This report aims to develop a clear plan for Victoria's energy transition by evaluating three scenarios. A Business as Usual (BAU) scenario that aims to emulate Victoria's planned trajectory is compared against two alternative solutions, both of which aim to emulate Victoria's planned trajectory is analysed against two alternative solutions that aim for complete renewable energy generation by 2030. Alternative 1 (ALT1) focuses on Victoria being reliant on imported interstate renewable energy, while Alternative 2 (ALT2) involves Victoria becoming self-sufficient through renewable generation. Each of the three scenarios is compared across four bottom lines: technical performance, social, economic, and environmental. Interviews among energy experts revealed that economic and social metrics were considered most important. Application of the n-bottom line (nBL) assessment framework delivers a result that finds ALT2 and ALT1 tied as the preferred solution. Hence, the construction of renewable infrastructure in Victoria and increased interstate transmission capacity should be built. Further research could include a deeper understanding of the embodied carbon in infrastructure built for the energy transition.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.