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Published by Tennant Reed, Luke Menzel, Frankie Muskovic
Your regular deep dive into recent reports on climate and energy with Frankie Muskovic, Luke Menzel and Tennant Reed. Because there is too much.
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Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for some much needed Good News Stories on climate! This week our Bonus episode includes Frankie, Luke and Tennant look to the light to focus on some of things that have us excited and optimistic about climate action - because goodness knows, we could all use an upper! Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to get this sweet, sweet BoCo! — The Great Data Centre Debate rages on and your intrepid hosts are here trying to inuit just what has been going on at National Cabinet lately. The official text out of the recent meeting isn’t much to go on, but according to the Bluesky community that collectively lost its mind, its carveouts galore for coal and gas powered data centres! Not so says Minister Bowen, who hosed the outrage down, but where does this leave us? State owned generation will be able to seek a Commonwealth-decided exemption from the fully-offset-with-renewables piece - IF - it will not raise costs for other users. This goes beyond just NT and QLD state owned energy (hi there TAS), but where is all the actual investment going anyway? Mostly NSW and VIC. So much more to play out here, and you know the LMSU crew is along for the ride Our main course The Albanese Government’s long-anticipated-and-finally-arrived ‘ Securing Australia’s Cleaner Fuels Industry: Consultation paper on a demand mechanism ’ provided the feedstock for this episode’s main course! Low carbon liquid fuels would help bolster Australia’s fuel security and resilience, and provide a lower emissions alternative to fossil fuels, but Australia has been exporting feedstocks like canola for other countries to make LCLFs. Can Australia grow a domestic LCLF industry? What will the costs of LCLF turn out to be with more demand and supply - are learning rates a thing here? And should electrification feature more centrally in this policy response? Your intrepid hosts muse on these - and more! - in this thoughtful consultation paper. We also refer back to Episode 77, ‘ Hey Big Spender, Blend A Little SAF For Me (Low Carbon, So Refined) ’ where we covered the CEFC and Deloitte paper on LCLFs. One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: Irrelevance, redux: Spooky Funny Island Edition! Tennant reckons Widow’s Bay is worth a watch (but don't watch it alone, OR all at once!) Frankie’s One More Thing is: the just published report from UNEP ‘ Limiting Overshoot: Navigating exceedance of 1.5C and pathways towards return ’ Luke’s One More Thing is: an article in Renew Economy from energy eminence Alan Pears on battery integrated appliances like induction cooktops and their role in the electrification nation! And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for some AMA action flowing from our 100th episode! This week our Bonus episode includes Frankie, Luke and Tennant revisiting a question we didn’t get to for our recent 100th episode spectacular: do we think we’ve got anything wrong over the past few years of doing the pod, or are there any positions we’d revisit if we could? Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to hear Luke’s controversial response to this worthy question from Baethan Mullen. — To REZ or not to REZ, is that the question? This week your intrepid hosts recap developments in NSW and VIC as divergence between the major parties emerged on commitments to some of the Big Build projects supporting the renewables rollout. From the Vic Liberals promising to cancel VNI West (replaced with new gas?), repeal the gas substitution roadmap and appliance bans to NSW Liberals pledging to review and scale down the New England REZ , and implement urban REZ zones in Sydney, Wollongong and Newcastle and an outback NSW REZ - there’s a bit going on. Our main course Grab a stiff drink for a super fun happy time Summerupperers as we dive into - for the first time on this here pod - NOT a paper, but a website: after2c.com ! This is the product of Georgetown University professor Dagomar Degroot and the students in the “Existential Risk” class who’ve envisioned, drawing on established science, how climate and other impacts may play out in four different futures. Starting from a ‘central scenario’ termed ‘The Great Hunger’ where emissions plateau, warming continues and the synchronised harvest failures break the global food system in a worldwide famine in 2046, we look at four possible futures - the best of which sees us come ‘Back From the Brink’ and stabilise emissions at 1.9C in 2100. Your intrepid hosts could have discussed this for waaay longer, but given we’re looking ahead to a particularly challenging summer driven by an El Nino event, we think it’s important to get real about why this matters. One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: the irrelevant, junk food, derivative, irresistible-to-Tennant Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman. Frankie’s One More Thing is: a PSA for consultation palooza and a few notable reviews having kicked off in the last week: efficiency of climate related financial disclosures ! Low Carbon Liquid Fuels market measure ! Hop onto it folks. Luke’s One More Thing is: a reflection on chats he’s been having with fellow Melbournians who are noticing the unseasonable warmness of the winter they’re experiencing, thinking ahead to the El Nino summer ahead and the priority placed on climate action in response to what happens. And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for some unsolicited advice to the next Victorian Energy Minister! This week our Bonus episode includes Frankie, Luke and Tennant providing some free (unsolicited) advice to whomsoever occupies the hotseat as Victorian Minister for Climate Change and Energy following this year’s state election. Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to hear which hills your intrepid hosts think are are worth dying on. — This week your intrepid hosts have their eyes on Canberra for the entree and main course, and begin with a substantial speech from Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen at the National Press Club. Lots to digest in here, but the big ticket was the minister’s announcement to expand the Small Scale Renewable Energy Scheme (SRES) to include deemed incentives for 5 years’ generation until 2030 of solar PV systems up to 1 MW, up from 100 kW. This idea has been doing the rounds for years and we reckon, it’s an idea whose time has well and truly come! Also packed into the speech was some more meat-on-bones for data centre energy requirements in the forthcoming National Standards - but lots more to come on that front! Our main course Summerupperers, this is the kind of episode your intrepid hosts were born for! This week we chow down on some classic LMSU content. That’s right, we speak of the government’s just-released 2026-27 Safeguard Mechanism Review consultation paper . Adding to our collection of Safeguard-related episodes, we go long on this one! Much anticipated and promised since 2023, this review is looking at how effective the current settings are in delivering the government’s 2030 emissions target, and whether adjustments are needed, as well as what the post-2030 settings should be. In the mix: decline rates! Financial support! To ACCU or not to ACCU! Thresholds! Cost of containment! And dare we say it, a little border carbon adjustment, just adjusting carbon at the border? Let’s make BoCA a thing, people! One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: Research showing US Permian Basin methane leakage was nearly halved from 2019 to 2023. Effort, and regulation, make a difference! Frankie’s One More Thing is: a PSA for some soon-to-be-published research from her day job at Investor Group on Climate Change on proposed reforms to the Safeguard Mechanism! The report will be launched in Canberra early next week, so keep your eyes peeled here . Luke’s One More Thing is: a rant about some seriously shortsighted and retrograde comments made by the Federal Opposition, committing to replace the National Construction Code with a basic housing standard based on the 1988 building code, before things like energy efficiency provisions were added. Where to start on this particular head scratcher? Hard to imagine a parliamentarian arguing for higher energy bills for vulnerable households, but these are topsy turvy times we live in. And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for a dissection of the latest cracks in the ECMC Federation This week our Bonus episode includes Frankie, Luke and Tennant dissecting the spicy, spicy goings on in the latest Energy and Climate Ministerial Council meeting. Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to hear which state dissented from the latest communique, and wild speculation on why! — Another day, another few gigawatts of data centre proposals to ponder! Your intrepid hosts continue their burgeoning obsession - alongside the nation’s polity, big business and interest groups aplenty - on the continued hype around the growth of AI, data centres and Australia’s role in all of the above. No question it is THE hot button issue of the day, the most recent proof point being the PM has given a great big speech on it! Australian Standards will be made! Copyright and content protection is high on the list! ECMC is on the case , with an eye on energy requirements for data centres! The prospective numbers around investment are super high - but are we heading for an AI bubble deflation? And how much productivity is actually going to be delivered by the bots ? One thing is for sure, this won’t be the last time LMSU convenes this corner. Our main course This week our main course is a slab of statistical delight - that’s right! - we’ve looking at the latest Statistical Review of World Energy , now in it’s 75th year! Started in 1952 by bp and stewarded for many years thereafter, these days, the baton has been passed to the UK Energy Institute with assists from Ember, KPMG, Kearney and Wattage Consulting. If you’ve never ventured into this document’s tabular depths you are in for a real treat! This globally watched, massive comprehensive account details exactly where the world’s energy is coming from, with *a bunch* of fascinating stories to unpack. When you look past the limitations of data presented as Primary Energy, it is clear that big structural shifts are underway - but the story from region to region looks very different! One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: AEMO QED Q2 2026 ! Battery rampage continues, Data Centre connection queue swells 67%! Always quality content, 4 times a year - hop on it people! Frankie’s One More Thing is: a plug for the latest report from The Superpower Institute, ‘ How Australia can break its foreign fuel dependence , complete with some handy video explainers . Luke’s One More Thing is: a back pat for Australia! Sourced from the just-released IEA Mid-Year Electricity Update 2026 , showing an intriguing data point with Australia bucking the trend for wholesale electricity price spikes caused by the fuel crisis. Our saviour? Batteries! And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for a chat on Diesel Fuel Tax Credits! This week our Bonus episode includes Alison, Frankie, Luke and Tennant breaking down what is going on with the various pushes to remove, reform - and preserve! - diesel fuel tax credits. Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to check it out. — Your intrepid welcome back super friend of the pod and sometime co-host Alison Reeve as we boot Luke out for a chat on two things LMSU’s unimpeachable governance has determined he can have no say in! First up, it’s been two laps around the sun since our deep dive into the 2024 Integrated System Plan and so into the 2026 ISP we must dive! What’s different from the last one? Well, in news that some of us energy wotchers will find comforting, this is a bit more boring than the last ISP because the central scenario is broadly pretty consistent with the last one! Data centre load hype replaces hydrogen load hype, batteries continue to eat into the role for gas but a bit more gas capacity is needed - how to finance this remains a key question! We also ponder the extent to which constraints on the ISP to reflect current government policies well into the future and reflect vastly different pictures across states is at all realistic. Our main course This Menzel-free main course is serving Big G GOVERNANCE as we tuck into Power Dynamics: Energy Governance in Australia , authored by long time climate and energy policy knower Rob Murray-Leach for the Energy Efficiency Council and RACE for 2030 CRC. It follows previous work from the EEC, ACOSS, Australian Industry Group and Property Council of Australia and contains a cornucopia of common sense ideas. Central to the reform philosophy proposed is a better balance of centralised and decentralised elements, and coordinating institutions and resources to focus on the tasks they’re best suited to. Simples, right? One more things Alison’s One More Thing is: the NSW Government’s current parliamentary inquiry into an EV road user charge and the potential for more constitutional challenges! Governments really need to decide who’s doing what here (lookin at you Commonwealth). Tennant’s One More Thing is: Blithering ballpark numbers for space-based sunshades ( solar powersat and sailcraft versions!) to mask global warming, buying time for emissions reductions without spraying sulphur or diamond dust in the stratosphere.TL;DR is there are easier ways to solve climate change change guys. Frankie’s One More Thing is: a HUMUNGOUS shoutout to all the folks who have been working on and advocating for a national home energy rating system for the last two decades - it is finally here! Go check it out at https://www.homeenergyrating.gov.au/ . Now let’s giddyup on mandatory disclosure please! Luke’s One More Thing is: Pauline Hanson’s National Press Club address . Compulsory viewing for climate and energy wonks concerned with understanding the seismic shifts in Australian politics and how this impacts efforts to combat climate change. And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for Germany industrial decarb tour and London Climate Action Week debrief! This week our Bonus episode includes a debrief from Luke and Tennant on their recent tour of Germany looking for inspo for Australia’s industrial decarbonisation journey plus extra side BoCo on BoCo reportage of the goings on at London Climate Action Week, including the launch of #ElectrifyNow global campaign! Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to check it out. -- In an unprecedented move of late your intrepid hosts temporarily abandon Energy Crisis Corner (we’ll be back fo sho) for a look at China’s just latest and just-published Five Year Plan ! On first review of the climate and energy parts, it looks to be weak on carbon and large scale renewables targets but respected Respected China Energy Watchers also argue it’s incredibly strong on the growth of storage and flexibility, and electrification? Already miles ahead of the global ambition in the new #ElectrifyNow campaign for 35% of final energy demand by 2035 - China reckons they’ll get there by 2030 at a steady cruise! Our main course The time has come! Muskovic’s Methane Musings takes to the main stage - as it was always destined to! - and we dive into the Climate Change Authority’s latest consultation paper, ‘ Fossil methane: A near-term abatement opportunity ’. The good folk at the CCA are being pragmatic and laying out the facts when it comes to sources of methane in Australia, but they’re zeroing in on near term abatement opportunities in the coal and gas sectors, because there’s a lot we can do! Tune in for the opening debate on GWP20 vs GWP100, why measurement and reporting could be better and what kinds of technology and policies could be looked at federally (lookin at you Safeguard) and at the state level. Consultation closes on 7 August so hop on it folks! One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: Orica reaching final investment decision on the Hunter Valley Hydrogen Hub, with a lil’ help from the Hydrogen Headstart program! Frankie’s One More Thing is: a shoutout to Summerupperer Rowan Moorey from Springmount Advisory for alerting us to some cool stats from the IEA showing the significance of energy efficiency compared to electrification, renewables and nuclear on energy and cost savings globally in response to the global fuel crisis. Efficiency for the win! Luke’s One More Thing is: a shout out for the global electrification campaign ElectrifyNow.world launched at London Climate Action Week during a record-breaking heatwave. TL;DR is London isn’t set up for extreme heat and some innovative solutions (cushions stuffed in windows, anyone?) were being deployed across the city to keep folks comfortable. *cough* Adaptation *cough* And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net
Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for Bonus Bonn bons! This week our Bonus episode has Frankie interrogating Luke and Tennant for some reportage of all the goings on at the Bonn intersessional talks. Overnight cross country German roadtrips! Electrification! Action agenda! Trade talk snafus! Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon for this especially sweet Boo! — In what will most-definitely-absolutely-hunge-percent be the last episode of Global Energy Crisis Corner because: We Have A Deal! Or do we? At the time of recording a ceremonial signing was in the works for Zurich on Friday so YOU Summerupperers know better than us whether Trump is leaning in on the art in this deal. Will the Strait of Hormuz be open by the time this episode drops? No tolls - just fees! Our main course Your intrepid hosts take a closer look at the Australian Government’s Domestic Gas Reservation Scheme: draft Design Framework , currently out for consultation. We track back over how exactly we got here, key design elements of the scheme and what remains to fleshed out and we reckon all this means for gas users, gas producers and that little thing called the energy transition. One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: a recommendation almost certainly made in the delirium of not enough sleep: anyone who hasn’t yet seen John Woo’s Hard Boiled should know T rates this a hard recommend.* Frankie’s One More Thing is: a reconstitution of Muskovic’s Methane Musings (complete with jingle) to telegraph our very own Climate Change Authority has released a consultation paper on abatement opportunities for fossil methane ! Hop on it folks. Luke’s One More Thing is: some free BoCo from Michael Liebreich’s recent visit to Australia, including a keynote at the Energy Efficiency Council’s recent National Conference. Here’s the keynote , fireside Q&A and appearance at the National Press Club . And in light or recent announcements out of Bonn, LMSU also gives a massive shout out to Australia’s Team Electrification, led by the inimitable Anna Freeman, who’s been herding cats on the global electrification pledge launched by Turkiye in Bonn! And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail! *sort of.
Summerupperers, we’ve made it! 100 episodes in and your intrepid hosts are still banging on about the latest developments and papers in climate and energy, because, THERE REALLY IS TOO MUCH. This week the LMSU crew marked the centenary occasion by recording this episode together - in real life! - on Bidjigal and Gadigal country, where we fielded questions and provocations from you, our amazing community of listeners. A huge shout out and thanks to Climate and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, Clare McLaughlin, Erwin Jackson, Julian Soo, Georgina Woods, Anna Hancock, Beth Richards, Alison Reeve, Carlos Flores, Anna Skarbek, Barry Sterland, Tom Quinn and the ghost of Queen Elizabeth II for calling in with your questions and well wishes! Over 100 episodes and four and a bit years, one of the best parts of doing LMSU has been hearing from all of you. Emails, shout outs on socials or encounters in the wild - hearing you've enjoyed the pod or find it useful doing the important work you do to advance climate action is why we're still in your ears, every fortnight, summing up the latest developments in climate and energy. And a very special thanks to our Super Sumerupperers who support us on Patreon. Without you, we absolutely would not be here! Your continued support means we can work with the fabulous Mark Spencer, who edits the pod, thereby saving our collective sanity and relative work life balances. If you listen to us on the regular, consider joining our Patreon and getting access to special subscriber only bonus episodes.This week, our bonus episode involves unlocking the archive and airing Episode 0 - our very first pilot episode! Walk, don’t run, over to letmesumup.net for all your LMSU needs.
Send us a voicemail to mark Let Me Sum Up’s upcoming 100th Episode! Your friendly neighbourhood climate and energy podcast of record is about to clock up its 100th episode! Global VP for Marketing and Extortion kindly requests Summeruppers to send us a voicemail with your questions for LMSU’s intrepid hosts or favourite anecdotes from listening to the pod. All contributions welcome! — In Episode XII of Global Energy Crisis Corner the current fuel crisis might have slipped off the radar of everyday Australians because, well, it’s all been Very Much Under Control And Nothing To See Here Except Higher Than Pre-Crisis Domestic Fuel Reserves. That doesn’t stop your tired, but resilient-in-our-nerdery intrepid hosts from another serving of what-is-actually-going-on-out-there chat! The latest IEA Oil Market Report makes it clear things are still VERY BAD but the impacts have been softened by countries drawing down on their domestic reserves - particularly China. But how much longer can this last? And how is this being experienced outside rich countries like Australia that can afford to pay extra to bolster imports? This article in the Economist does a good job outlining the impacts across Asia. Buckle up for Episode XIII folks. Our main course Your intrepid hosts dive out of the fire and into the frying pan to dissect ‘ Power Flexible AI Factories: A UK-First Demonsration of Grid-Responsive AI Infrastructure ’, a paper from Chris Williams et al and supported by Emerald AI, Electric Power Research Institute, the UK’s National Grid and Nebius. So what does BIG AI think the solution is to managing the growth of power-hungry data centres across the globe? Unsurprisingly this paper is optimistic on the potential for data centres to operate in practice as a form of demand response, to smooth peak demand around significant events (tea kettle breaks for UEFA matches, anyone?) and reduce power consumption by up to 40%. The trial documented in the paper provides some real cause for optimism and throws out some suggestions for reform, but bigger trials and key questions - like who pays for the flex? And how about that water consumption? - still need grappling with. One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: a techno-optimist double delight! CATL deal for 60 GWh sodium-ion batteries for grid storage shows sodium is here and lithium constraints aren’t going to be a problem AND Fervo IPO - geothermal startup raises US$1.89b and market values it at $10b+ - they will have the money to get their first 500MW plant up and running this year (Cape Station, Utah). Frankie’s One More Thing is: a sneaky peak into LMSU’s post Budget analysis to alert folks to a tantalising reference to the Government’s work on a ‘market measure’ to drive demand for new Australian LCLF production ( page 12 of BP1 to be precise ). Watch this space! Luke’s One More Thing is: some electrification optimism percolating around the country - from the $40m funding in the Budget to help electrify Australia Post’s operations to Incat in Tasmania taking their ferries all electric! LMSU also heartily commends to Summerupperers the book ‘ Power, Prosperity and Planet: Climate and Energy Policy For All ’ from friend of the pod, Thom Woodroofe! And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
Send us a voicemail to mark Let Me Sum Up’s upcoming 100th Episode! Your friendly neighbourhood climate and energy podcast of record is about to clock up its 100th episode! And our Global VP for Marketing and Extortion kindly requests Summeruppers to send us a voicemail with your questions for LMSU’s intrepid hosts or favourite anecdotes from listening to the pod. All contributions welcome! Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for Pre-Budget Palooza or Grab our Sector Plan Odyssey Six Pack on its own! This week our Bonus episode includes wild and semi-informed speculation on what to expect for climate and energy in this year’s Federal Budget. Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to check it out. And if all you really wanted from LMSU’s BoCo bonanza of late was our six pack of sector plan coverage, you can grab that on its own too . — In a trend that shows no sign of abating, your intrepid hosts reconvene Global Energy Crisis Corner because, it’s been another two weeks and There Is Too Much. Since our last episode global oil prices are back up but local fuel prices are down. Que pasa? Government credit on import deals is subsidising fuel? Lag to global price spikes? Panic hoarding largely passed? A little bit of everything we reckon. So where does this leave us? The crisis doesn’t look like it'll be done anytime soon, time to explore efficiencies and longer term pivots to better storage and electrification we reckon! Our main course Your intrepid hosts think it’s not a bad time for countries to be discussing the transition away from fossil fuels, so cue a global summit we prepared earlier! Last week the First Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels was held in Santa Marta, Colombia. We unpack where the conference came from (a few COPs in the making!), who was there (lots of constituencies, about half of COP parties pushing for stronger action to phase out fossils), who was not there (the other half of COP countries less keen on faster action, a bunch of business) and what happened! We dive into the Santa Marta Action Repertoire (SMART) Summary , the academic dialogue of the conference, edited and overseen by Friedrich J. Bohn, Jesse Burton, Andrea Cardoso, Frank Jotzo, Sissi Knispel de Acosta, Kjell Kühne, Pao-Yu Oei, Annette Zou. From overcoming economic dependence, to transforming supply and demand and advancing international cooperation and climate diplomacy, ideas abound and some spicy disagreement between your hosts emerges! One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: the IMO Net-Zero Framework is back under discussion! The outcome was continued technical refinement work , with adoption decision not due to be re-opened til October 2026. Frankie’s One More Thing is: a hasty convening of Muskovic’s Methane Musings to plug the just-published IEA Global Methane Tracker 2026 . What does it say? Frankie’s not sure but Tennant suggests there are claims Australia’s methane fugitives are *way* higher than reported. Luke’s One More Thing is: some reportage on the recent high level dialogue hosted by the IEA in Paris with Turkiye and Australia , at which some encouraging comments were made from Turkiye’s COP31 President Kurum on support for electrification and energy sovereignty… NOW? And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
Grab your limited edition ‘Energy Sovereignty Now!’ t-shirts! There is now an insufficiency of energy sufficiency AND sovereignty tees in the world, but don’t worry, the LMSU merch store has got you covered! Promises made, promises kept folks - grab your limited edition t-shirt right here . Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon so you too can SafeGuarder! This week our Bonus episode unpacks the second year of data from the reformed Safeguard Mechanism with a side serve of national accounts figures. Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to check it out. — Your intrepid hosts reconvene Global Energy Crisis Corner because, There Is Too Much. Since our last episode we’ve seen the PM’s performative tour de force to short up energy contracts in the region, the launch of a mass media campaign gently suggesting we Keep Calm and Take Public Transport Where You Can, one of two Australian fuel refineries ON FIRE, the Great Gas Tax Debate, the blink-and-you-miss-it-open-and-close-of-the-Strait-of-Hormuz, aaand some alarming reporting revealing the inner workings of the Trump administration’s decision to start a war with Iran. Or in other words, just a day ending in Y for 2026! Our main course This week, we read a paper from two political science researchers, Jared J Finnegan and Jonas Meckling, ‘ Fighting the Future: Short Term Investors and Business Opposition to Climate Policy in which they’ scour US corporate data for answers to why some businesses oppose regulatory climate policies more frequently or intensely than others. Their focus? Not differences in company emissions intensity, already well studied, but differences in time horizon. Their conclusion? Businesses with more pressure to deliver short term results are more likely to more actively oppose climate policy. Some of this is a bit Captain Obvious, but there are a couple of gems in here, even if there’s a worrying reliance on US political donations data! Extra props must be given for the X-Files Movie reference in the title! One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: the IEA Oil Market Report for April 2026 - free! Exciting! Full of uncertainty! Frankie’s One More Thing is: a reconvening of Muskovic’s Methane Musings featuring the currently open DCCEEW consultation on the 2026 National Greenhouse and Energy Reporting (NGER) Scheme Updates , including updates to accounting for fugitive methane emissions from coal and gas mining! Luke’s One More Thing is: two shout outs! One for sometime co-host and friend of the pod, Alison Reeve, for the paper recommendation this week, plus one for another friend of the pod, Jan Rosenow, who continues to provide on-point analysis throughout the current, and previous, crises! And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
Grab your limited edition ‘Energy Sovereignty Now!’ t-shirts! There is now an insufficiency of energy sufficiency AND sovereignty tees in the world, but don’t worry, the LMSU merch store has got you covered! Promises made, promises kept folks - grab your limited edition t-shirt right here . Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for the latest episode of My Little GSOO™ This week Tennant and Frankie give Luke the slip as we unpack AEMO’s 2026 Gas Statement of Opportunities. Electrification at pace? You betcha! Gas import terminals? Some still like ‘em! Global fuel crisis? So far unaccounted for, but we can’t say the same for one c-word. Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to check it out. — Wouldn’t you know, the world is *still* cray cray, but extant so let’s take that win! The PM is one national address into this crisis and throw in the National Cabinet’s latest four point plan (the National Fuel Security Plan ) and some COVID-style PTSD is kicking in! But not to worry folks, we are at Level Two and the message is very much Don’t Panic, Take The Train Or Work From Home If You Can. We reckon this is a fascinating exercise in laying down markers for messaging that will be ramped up, and we’ll continue to speculate over some of the woolier bits in Levels 3 and 4. WATCH THIS SPACE. Our main course There’s no shortage of ideas abounding at the moment on how exactly not to waste the current fuel crisis, but your intrepid hosts landed upon the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis’ latest paper, ‘ The perfect storm to boost energy security: How Australia can reduce its oil exposure in the wake of the Iran conflict .’ Brought to us by Kevin Morrison and Amandine Denis-Ryan, the crew at IEEFA do a splendid job of laying out the history and context around Australia’s current predicament of much more marginal reserves than our IEA counterparts and while they’re at it, serve up a menu of sensible solutions on the supply and demand side, to ensure we don’t find ourselves in this particular pickle again. Bilateral crisis supply agreements? We’re seeing some signs of that! Electrification and energy efficiency? That sounds like a thing we’re about! One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: true nerd appreciation for the just launched Artemis II ! A cool, technically stupendous and peaceful adventure into space! Fun fact: Apollo-era NASA took funding peaking at about 4.6% of US GDP to land men on the moon. Artemis-era NASA is rebooting this while getting about 0.1% of US GDP Frankie’s One More Thing is: A plug for the NSW Net Zero Commission's advice to the NSW Government intended to help inform the work underway for the new NSW Net Zero Plan to 2025 , due to be released in mid-2026. They’re big on electrification and methane, and Frankie is, unsurprisingly, a fan. Luke’s One More Thing is: the just released movie of The Magic Faraway Tree . Luke had some trepidation noting Enid Blyton’s outsized impact on his childhood reading, but the ultimate verdict was 3 out of 5 stars - from Menzel and his younguns! And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for the political commentary BoCo pod you didn’t know you needed in your life! Politics junkies? Guilty as charged! Nothing was going to keep your intrepid hosts from grabbing the popcorn and settling in to watch the SA election this past weekend. Run, don’t walk, over to www.letmesumup.net and subscribe to our Patreon to hear what we make of the Malinauskas empire and an orange wave. -- The world is still cray cray and your intrepid hosts are here to bear witness to what Fatih Birol has called a fuel crisis worse in its impact than the two 70s oil crises combined. CRIKEY was that a wake-up call for us Aussies who hadn’t yet seen electricity or gas prices spike, but started using public transport and buying more EVs as fuel prices hit $3/L. Where to next you ask? Who knows what batshit crazy moves the orange man will make, but the more uncertainty over where its all going creates delay in supply chains readjusting to the new reality. And could we finally see the imposition of a gas export tax that actually collects revenue? WILD TIMES. Our main course While Dr Birol - longtime IEA maestro - was on Australian shores, he was spruiking their hot-off-the-press report ‘ Sheltering from Oil Shocks: measures to reduce impacts on households and businesses ’ which promotes a menu of ten options to cut oil consumption through demand side measures. What’s on the IEA wishlist? Public transport! Carpooling! Slowing down on highways! More efficient truck driving! Don’t fly for work! Change to electric cooking! And some doozies that maybe won’t go down well in some quarters (yep, the ol’ WORK FROM HOME idea). This is a striking bit of comms from the IEA. Absolutely right to focus on the here and now, but the longer term actions like ramping up EVs, electrification and reducing reliance on fossil fuels altogether appeared in a modest epilogue. It had your intrepid hosts wondering if the US threat to the IEA to drop that crazy net zero stuff is having an impact. Time will most surely tell! One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: a Fraunhofer Institute stud y of data from 1 million European cars, indicating PHEVs use 3x the fuel they are estimated to using regulatory tests. The reasons: drivers don’t plug them in that much; and the cars tend to run their fossil engines during electric mode more often than regulators assumed. Frankie’s One More Thing is: the formal establishment of Muskovic’s Methane Musings with the exciting development that NSW EPA have just announced they WILL IN FACT regulate methane emissions from coal mining. Luke’s One More Thing is: a shameless plug for the Energy Efficiency Council’s annual conference , coming up in Sydney on May 27-28 at which some guy who apparently does another energy podcast, (Michael Liebreich?) will in fact appear in all three dimensions and corporeal form in Sydney at this conference. If you’ve heard of him, I guess you better go check it out. And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
Another regional conflict precipitating another energy security crisis has your intrepid hosts feeling some deja vu as we find ourselves in an increasingly familiar setting as we contemplate the opportunities and challenges presented in the current US-Israel war on Iran. Beyond the horrific human toll of the Trump administration’s latest incoherent, all-tactics-no-strategy foray into the Middle East, there are some complex consequences to world energy markets playing out and it’s too soon to tell where this all goes from here. Global oil prices? Spiking! And likely to lead to airfare cost increases. Gas prices? Also spiking! But not in Australia, say whaaat? Like we said, ‘It’s Complicated’. Our main course We stick solidly ON THEME this week with ‘ Fossil energy minimum viable scale : unseen infrastructural threats to safety and decarbonization may arise as fossil energy systems are phased out ’ from Joshua Lappen and Emily Grubert, published recently in Science. This compact paper packs a punch and has a couple of big ideas to engage with. One is that energy transition types have been want to assume legacy fossil fuel infrastructure will carry on at the required capacity over the required timeframes to see replacement renewables in place. NOT SO say our authors, who contend that minimum viable scales for operation are not well understood and are certainly not being factored into planning for the transition, when it comes to physical, financial and managerial constraints. Their advice? DO better modelling, planning and managing of these issues at an asset level. Elements of this paper felt super familiar (hello gas distribution network death spiral) whole others worrying novel (oh hi there fuel-refinery-that-won’t-operate-under-65%-capacity). Liked the provocations here we did! One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: Cloud Carrier’s proposal to power a new data centre in NSW entirely by natural gas . Lots of debates sure to come! Frankie’s One More Thing is: continued excitement at all things methane abatement focused, from the CCA’s stated priority to look at this in 2026 to the NSW EPA’s consultation on measures it may implement to reduce or destroy fugitive methane emissions from coal mining. Luke’s One More Thing is: listener voicemail from none other than Baethan Mullen, CEO of the Superpower Institute, who left us a note with his reaction to our reaction to their recent paper on pricing carbon pollution. Thanks TSI for keeping us busy reading your excellent work! And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
It’s 2026 and we’re back, baby! Clearly not much has been happening in the world since we left you appreciating the one liners of dreamy cult classic The Princess Bride, so this we’ll keep brief. HA! Your intrepid hosts cast our sights beyond the binfire of domestic politics for a moment to the latest international institution to draw the ire of the Trump administration - this week featuring the International Energy Agency! The IEA’s recent biennial ministerial gathering in Paris last week saw the US demand climate be dropped as a priority – and specifically that net zero scenarios be dropped from their projections – Or Else! In this case, Or Else means a US withdrawal along with their dollars. Will the IEA succumb to these demands? Your intrepid hosts think unlikely, but Australia and other countries will need to stand firm and/or pick up more of the tab. Our main course The folks at The Superpower Institute must have known the LMSU crew leapt into 2026 ravenous for climate content and oh boy, did they deliver. Their recent paper, ‘ The Case For Pricing Pollution ,’ authored by 2025 Wonky Award winner Reuben Finighan and Ingrid Burford packs not one BUT TWO big ideas for your intrepid hosts to digest. A ‘Polluter Pays Levy’ would see a price on carbon applied to fossil fuel production/supply with price eventually pegged to the EU ETS, combined with a ‘Fair Share Levy’, a two-way cashflow tax of 40% on oil and gas (but mostly gas) producers, replacing the current and not effective Petroleum Resource Rent Tax. In other words: don your meat dress, crank One Direction, and tax rents and carbon while planking. YOLO (again)! Why has TSI ‘gone there’? we can hear you gentle listeners ask. We are not on track to meet our net zero commitments, structural budget deficits demanding spending restraint in the face of growing costs attached to worthy social supports, and weak productivity suggests the need for a more efficient way to price carbon and raise revenue ($35.6 Bn a year out to 2050 is big dollars). This report is a bold provocation, aiming to stimulate discussion ahead of the 2026/27 Safeguard Review to suggest it’s time to revisit the policy that until recently dared not speak its name. Your intrepid hosts welcome the provocation and thinks there may be multiple ways to skin the carbon price cat. Also, this should definitely have been two papers. Kthnxbye. One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: another obscure but entertaining pop culture find: V: The Original Miniseries . Available we’re not sure where. You’re welcome! Frankie’s One More Thing is: a strange and unexpected role reversal as she plugs the long-awaited, much lusted after in one T Reed’s heart, the final report from the Government’s carbon leakage review ! Slipped out the same day as #LibSpill2026 no less. TL;DR is: do the CBAM! (and not much change from draft report). Luke’s One More Thing is: the currently-showing-in-theatres-Baz-Luhrmann-spectacular “ EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert ”. Stitched together from footage of different Elvis concerts over time, Luke reckons even if you’re not a hunk of burning love for Elvis before seeing this, you might be after. And we throw in a cheeky plug right at the end for Climate Action Week Sydney ! Get on it! And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
We're back, and we're kicking off a big year with the first annual LMSU Summer Book Club! That is right, Tennant, Frankie, Luke and Alison curled up with a climate themed read over summer: Existential Politics: Why Global Climate Institutions Are Failing and How to Fix Them by Jessica F Green. What did we make of it? Views were... mixed at best. Tune in to find out more, and if you are so inclined this book is available on Kindle ! -- Our hearts go out to everyone impacted by Victorian bushfires over summer, within the climate and energy community and beyond. You can help out by chipping a few bucks to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal . -- We'll be returning to regularly scheduled programming in a couple of weeks, but until then there is a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, explore the back catalogue, and leave us a voicemail!
Give the gift of LMSU BoCo to your loved ones! In the awkward position of forgetting a Christmas gift for your beloved? Want to set your climate conscious friends up for success in 2026? Look no further than a one year subscription to LMSU’s Patreon which gets you bonus, subscriber-only episodes - unpacking the sector decarbonisation plans with special guests - and all manner of additional absolute silliness, like our recent bonus episode of Luke, Tennant and Frankie’s Dungeons & Dragons adventure. Hop to it! — The 2025 Wonky Award It’s that time of the year when your intrepid hosts dole out the Wonky award for our favourite paper of the year! We revive the recurring argument about the criteria for the award and don’t let the fact that two of our three finalists weren’t even papers stop us. Our finalists and highly commended for 2025 are: ‘ Abundance ’ by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson ‘ Quarterly Essay 99: Woodside Versus The Planet ’ by Marianne Wilkinson ‘ The New Energy Trade: Harnessing Australian renewables for global development ’ by Reuben Finighan at The Superpower Institute. While there was no denying the zeitgeisty vibe impact of Abundance on the political discourse in Australia and all-round appreciation for Marianne Wilkinson’s thoughtful provocation on the influence of gas giant Woodside, your intrepid hosts all rallied around the seminal ‘New Energy Trade’ paper from the Superpower Institute as having a clear-eyed vision and significant and ongoing impact on policy thinking around Australia’s green export potential. Bravo to Reuben Finighan and colleagues at TSI for winning the 2025 Wonky Award! A custom meme will find its way to your socials in the not-too-distant future! Holiday Movie Special We’ve always wondered how many of our eagle-eyed Summerupperers got the movie reference in our podcast title ‘Let Me Sum Up’, taken from none other than the iconic, swashbuckling fantasy fairy tale " The Princess Bride " - so it was INCONCEIVABLE that we choose any other movie for our 2025 Holiday Special. From the origin story around choosing the pod name (including the names that didn’t make the cut), how this movie has influenced us and where we saw it first, to our favourite moments from an all-star cast and the endless choice of banger quotes, we go long! Such is our mutual love for this movie, there was no containing the joy of this Holiday Special. One more things Tennant’s One More Thing is: a bit of light holiday reading with the equally zeitgeisty and current The Secret History by Procopius? You tell us which current Australian political figure comes to mind when you hear Tennant’s quote from the book. Frankie’s One More Thing is: a very late to the party endorsement for Stranger Things on Netflix, which she is just getting around to watching. Better late than never! Luke’s One More Thing is: Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another which is nothing short of masterpiece and still showing in the odd cinema. LMSU says – see it on the big screen. And that’s it until the New Year, Summerupperers. Don’t forget we are convening a summer book club, diving into ‘ Existential Politics: Why Global Climate Institutions Are Failing And How To Fix Them ’ by Jessica F. Green, and will be recording an episode to discuss sometime in January together with sometime co-host Alison Reeve. And don’t forget there is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail! P.S. don't big shout out to our friends at The NEMchat Singers, who have a proud tradition of summing the energy year in song. We hope you enjoy one of their 2025 contributions at the end of this episode, and be sure to check out the other here !
Subscribe to LMSU’s Patreon for a sector plan BoCo bonanza! All aboard folks! Team LMSU is continuing our BoCo odyssey, adventuring through each of the six sector decarbonisation plans. AND we’re bringing friends! That’s right, we’re calling in even nerdier reinforcements. This week, we’ll be joined by Ag sector knower Steve Hatfield-Dodds to unpack the Agriculture and Land Sector Plan. And if somehow that isn’t temptation enough for you crazy climate cats, we can reveal that episode two of our dungeons and dragons odyssey is incoming in time for the Christmas listening of Super Summerupperers... so hop to it! — Main topic(s) While we have been occupied with Conferences of Parties, developments in Australian energy and climate policy have been coming thick and fast. So what is a summing up podcast with one substantive episode left before the end of the year to do? Why, a demolition derby of All The Things, of course! Buckle up, and tune in for: Klimate Krampus, AKA the Coalition’s abandonment of a net zero by 2050 target (to really get the vibe of the thing, we encourage a close read of the Liberal and National positions, such as they are ) Climate Christmas, specifically the Albanese Government’s 2025 Climate Statement , the Climate Change Authority’s 2025 Annual Progress Report and DCCEEW’s 2025 Emissions Projections . Energy Eisteddfod, featuring AEMO’s Draft 2026 Integrated System Plan CSIRO’s Draft 2025-26 GenCost Report AEMO’s 2025 Transition Plan for System Security Tim Nelson and friends' NEM Review final report Ministers various’ ECMC Communique Gas Market Review rumblings and reservation speculation Home Battery Program recharged Electric Car Discount reviewed And for dessert, Environment Efflorescence... EPBC reforms passed! One more things Frankie’s One More Thing is – jumping on a favourite hobby horse, the imperative to tackle methane emissions, noting promising activity in NSW that could help build national momentum! Tennant’s One More Thing is – a big spruik for our 2025 Wonky Awards! Yes that’s right, we are once again surveying the papers we covered on the podcast over the last 12 months and picking our favourite! But this year we are inviting you, dear summerupperers, to stick your oar in – leave us a voice note and tell us which paper should reign supreme! Luke’s One More Thing is – the announcement of the first annual LMSU summer book club! Because this podcast clearly doesn't have enough corners, angles and side hustles already, Tennant, Frankie, Luke and Alison will be curling up with a climate themed read over summer and once we’ve read it, we'll chat about it on a special summer episode of the pod for release sometime in January. And what is our inaugural read for book club? Why it is Existential Politics: Why Global Climate Institutions Are Failing and How to Fix Them by Jessica F Green. Available on Kindle for a surprisingly high price ! Or for a free taster, hear Jessica chat about the book on the Shift Key podcast ! Plus in special bonus spruiking, Frankie highlights the upcoming LMSU Holiday Special, in which we watch a movie and talk about it. And this year we’re changing things up – we are going to talk about a classic movie that we have heavily referenced on LMSU! But obviously it is rich pickings, so which one? Well that is up to you! Vote in our handy dandy poll now! That was a lot. But that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
We conclude our Quokka of 2025 COP episodes by sitting down Australia's Climate and Energy Minister – and incoming COP President of Negotiations – Chris Bowen! Referenced in this episode (in order of importance): Luke's COP bid parody song Chris' summer reading recommendation Türkiye-Australia Partnership Modalities — And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
All aboard folks! Team LMSU is continuing our BoCo odyssey, adventuring through each of the six sector decarbonisation plans. AND we’re bringing friends! That’s right, we’re calling in even nerdier reinforcements and experts to join us as we venture on. We're four in, two to go and luminaries helping us sum up so far include Dylan McConnell, Davina Rooney, Helen Rowe and Alison Reeve! And if somehow that isn’t temptation enough for you crazy climate cats, the only way you’ll see evidence of Luke, Tennant and Frankie’s cosplay efforts at our recent Chaos Trivia event is by subscribing on Patreon , so hop to it! -- We make our best attempt to sum up all the thrills and spills of week two of COP30, and boy there were some twists in the tale: a resolution to Australia’s bid to host COP31 that no-one had on their bingo card; literal conflagrations in the COP30 pavilions; and arguably the most dramatic closing plenary of any COP, ever. — And that’s it for now, Summerupperers. There is now a one-stop-shop for all your LMSU needs: head to letmesumup.net to support us on Patreon, procure merch, find back episodes, and leave us a voicemail!
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