Victoria’s emissions from energy reduced by 0.5% this week, this is the seventh week in a row that emissions have fallen. Electricity generation increased by 4% due to a 1% increase in Victoria’s electricity demand and increased electricity exports to NSW. Emissions from coal-fired generators increased by 5% as the level of electricity produced by lower emission gas generators fell by 17%. Emissions from gas dropped by 19% due to reduced use of gas for heating as a result of the milder weather and reduced use of gas for electricity generation. Weekly emissions from petroleum were at the lowest level seen for 12 months. Victoria’s emissions from energy for the first quarter in 2008 were 25.439 million tonnes, 86,000 tonnes or 0.3% higher than the same period in 2007. For the first quarter of 2008 electricity from coal produced 15.767 million tonnes of greenhouse gases (62%), natural gas was responsible for 2.377 million tonnes (9%) and petroleum 7.295 million tonnes (29%). With a cooler start to this year, emissions were lower than 2007 for the first half of the quarter but hot weather in March saw emissions increase to levels higher than the same period in 2007. It also appears higher prices are having very little impact on the petrol use, with emissions from petroleum products up 4% on the same period in 2007. While electricity demand in Victoria grew slightly, this did not correspond to an increase in Victorian generation but rather a reduction in the level of electricity exported to NSW. Emissions from coal-fired electricity reduced marginally (0.4%). Emissions from natural gas were 5% lower due to a reduction in the level of gas used for power generation due to milder weather compared with the same time in 2007. The Indicator peaked in mid February (2.035 million tonnes, 16-22 Feb) when emissions from coal-fired electricity were greatest and was at its lowest (1.831 million tonnes) at the beginning of January. Emissions for the first quarter of 2008 were 27% higher than average weekly energy emissions in 1990.
