Drought in NZ sends global milk prices soaring

Peter Hannam Global milk prices have soared to a record high as New Zealand's worst drought in decades drains growth and conditions limit output in Australia and elsewhere.

Big dry sends global milk prices soaring

Peter Hannam Global milk prices are at record highs - but the impact won't be felt at your supermarket just yet.

Energy

More pain to come on power prices

Peter Hannam and Brian Robins Origin Energy boss warns a new round of capital spending might place pressure on power prices.

Energy

Ambitious Sun King falls from grace

Peter Hannam Suntech Power, the solar giant founded by Australian Shi Zhengrong, is teetering on the edge.

Report rejects subsidised premiums in flood zones

Peter Hannam A Productivity Commission report into climate change adaptation has argued against subsidised premiums for homeowners living in flood-prone regions, a finding that drew praise from insurers and the...

Solar

'Sun King' still upbeat as solar giant nears default

Peter Hannam Shi Zhengrong, the former billionaire dubbed the 'Sun King' for the meteoric rise of his solar company, Suntech Power, remains 'upbeat and very positive', even as a possible debt default looms.

Cheer for fans, not clubs, after solar firm fails

Peter Hannam Customers of failed solar company Unleash Solar are likely to fare much better than creditors owed millions of dollars, after serial rescue company Clean Energy Enterprises took over their contracts.

Resources

Coal investments a turnoff

Peter Hannam As many as one in four superannuation holders would shift investments if found to be investing in coal.

Coal use is declining on national grid

Peter Hannam The share of coal in eastern Australia's electricity generation network has fallen below 75 per cent for the first time, helping to drag down carbon emissions.

Solar

Rise and fall of the 'Sun King'

Peter Hannam It's a tale of soaring wealth and then plummeting fortunes rarely seen even in Australia's famously boom and bust mining industry.

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Agribusiness

Weather costs high but crops also thrive

Peter Hannam Ex-cyclone Oswald has left the biggest damage bill from Australia's summer of extreme weather.

Aviation biofuels on the up and up

Peter Hannam Lufthansa probably thought it was on a winner when it began using a mix of biofuel and jet fuel.

Business cheers cut of state energy efficiency program

Peter Hannam Business groups have welcomed the Victorian government's decision to end a mandatory energy efficiency program almost two years early.

Costs soar for reinsurers

Peter Hannam Australia has been re-rated on international reinsurance markets after another summer of flooding and extreme weather raised the country's peril profile, said Insurance Council of Australia chief...

Full dams spur rise in hydro energy

Peter Hannam A RISE in hydro power and further inroads from other renewable energy sources is contributing to a drop in carbon emissions from the electricity sector, according to Pitt & Sherry research.

Solar and wind energy catch fire

Peter Hannam Solar and wind-power generation soaring at home and abroad as falling costs combine with rising prices for fossil-fuel alternatives to reshape electricity markets.

Hydro surge cuts power sector emissions

Peter Hannam A surge in hydro power and further inroads from other renewable energy sources is contributing to a drop in carbon emissions from the electricity sector, according to Pitt & Sherry research.

Bumper year for solar and wind energy

Peter Hannam 2012 was another bumper year for renewable energy worldwide with solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity surpassing 100 gigawatts for the first time and wind energy capacity expanding by almost one-fifth.

Steep premium rises lead to fall in protection

Peter Hannam Rising premiums and patchy economic growth contributes to businesses ditching property insurance.

Flood claims exceed $570m as clean-up goes on

Peter Hannam Australia's insurers are continuing to tally the cost of this summer's floods and fires, with the insured losses now exceeding $550 million in Queensland alone.