Dylan McConnell
@dylanjmcconnell.bsky.social
Renewable Energy & Energy Systems Researcher at University of NSW (..but also I live in Melbourne)
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
The Australian government claims it will meet its 2030 emissions target almost entirely due to an assumption that it will meet its renewable energy target.
This is an input to the projection, not an output.
It's honestly very hard to see how this will happen.
This is an input to the projection, not an output.
It's honestly very hard to see how this will happen.
November 27, 2025 at 2:10 AM
The Australian government claims it will meet its 2030 emissions target almost entirely due to an assumption that it will meet its renewable energy target.
This is an input to the projection, not an output.
It's honestly very hard to see how this will happen.
This is an input to the projection, not an output.
It's honestly very hard to see how this will happen.
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
We should urgently change how we generate electricity in Australia, but the government's claim to be on track to meeting its 2030 target is based on coal and gas generation permanently dropping to a third of current levels this decade.
They do not have the policies in place to make this happen.
They do not have the policies in place to make this happen.
November 27, 2025 at 3:41 AM
We should urgently change how we generate electricity in Australia, but the government's claim to be on track to meeting its 2030 target is based on coal and gas generation permanently dropping to a third of current levels this decade.
They do not have the policies in place to make this happen.
They do not have the policies in place to make this happen.
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
The dismantling of Science in #Australia continues...
I remember that hopes were high in 2022 that the new Labor Government would end the decade-long decline. We are now in the second #Albanese term, and things are worse than ever.
ABC News article: www.abc.net.au/news/science...
#PlantScience
I remember that hopes were high in 2022 that the new Labor Government would end the decade-long decline. We are now in the second #Albanese term, and things are worse than ever.
ABC News article: www.abc.net.au/news/science...
#PlantScience
November 25, 2025 at 10:06 AM
The dismantling of Science in #Australia continues...
I remember that hopes were high in 2022 that the new Labor Government would end the decade-long decline. We are now in the second #Albanese term, and things are worse than ever.
ABC News article: www.abc.net.au/news/science...
#PlantScience
I remember that hopes were high in 2022 that the new Labor Government would end the decade-long decline. We are now in the second #Albanese term, and things are worse than ever.
ABC News article: www.abc.net.au/news/science...
#PlantScience
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
This is going to be a big old thread where I dump thoughts, reactions, charts etc from the @iea.org World Energy Outlook 2025 :)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlkP...
www.iea.org/commentaries...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlkP...
www.iea.org/commentaries...
World Energy Outlook 2025
YouTube video by International Energy Agency
www.youtube.com
November 12, 2025 at 10:17 AM
This is going to be a big old thread where I dump thoughts, reactions, charts etc from the @iea.org World Energy Outlook 2025 :)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlkP...
www.iea.org/commentaries...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlkP...
www.iea.org/commentaries...
Curious part of the project consultaion for this:
"Potential cumulative impacts could also be generated through the implementation of other major projects in the NT, such as the Beetaloo Sub-Basin Gas project... "
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
"Potential cumulative impacts could also be generated through the implementation of other major projects in the NT, such as the Beetaloo Sub-Basin Gas project... "
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
‘Gobsmacking’ solar farm that could power AI datacentres ‘possibly unparalleled’ in Australia or world
SunCable says massive energy project proposed in NT could position Australia as global leader but critics are concerned about scale
www.theguardian.com
November 21, 2025 at 9:25 AM
Curious part of the project consultaion for this:
"Potential cumulative impacts could also be generated through the implementation of other major projects in the NT, such as the Beetaloo Sub-Basin Gas project... "
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
"Potential cumulative impacts could also be generated through the implementation of other major projects in the NT, such as the Beetaloo Sub-Basin Gas project... "
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
The last time I wrote about this I copped the biggest whinge fest from the then (Labor) minister’s office about how they weren’t cutting the budget lol
That's more than 1,100 jobs lost at the CSIRO over the last two years.
"Combined, the staff association estimates that equates to cutting the agency’s size by a third."
This is more cuts to the CSIRO than was attempted by the Abbott government.
www.smh.com.au/national/csi...
"Combined, the staff association estimates that equates to cutting the agency’s size by a third."
This is more cuts to the CSIRO than was attempted by the Abbott government.
www.smh.com.au/national/csi...
CSIRO to slash hundreds of jobs in cost-saving drive
The staff association at the nation’s leading scientific research organisation says the latest round of cuts marks “a sad day for publicly funded science”.
www.smh.com.au
November 18, 2025 at 3:14 PM
The last time I wrote about this I copped the biggest whinge fest from the then (Labor) minister’s office about how they weren’t cutting the budget lol
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
dw about it I'm sure it's fine
November 17, 2025 at 7:16 AM
dw about it I'm sure it's fine
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
Some people are replying here with things already addressed in this thread and paper, so please click through bsky.app/profile/oliv...
Finally! 🤩 Our position piece: Against the Uncritical Adoption of 'AI' Technologies in Academia:
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n
doi.org/10.5281/zeno...
We unpick the tech industry’s marketing, hype, & harm; and we argue for safeguarding higher education, critical
thinking, expertise, academic freedom, & scientific integrity.
1/n
November 14, 2025 at 3:47 PM
Some people are replying here with things already addressed in this thread and paper, so please click through bsky.app/profile/oliv...
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
Chinese and EU emissions were more or less flat in 2025 (Chinese emissions may have actually declined slightly, but its too early to know for sure: www.carbonbrief.org/...).
US emissions increases drove much of the increase in global emissions in 2025.
US emissions increases drove much of the increase in global emissions in 2025.
November 13, 2025 at 3:25 AM
Chinese and EU emissions were more or less flat in 2025 (Chinese emissions may have actually declined slightly, but its too early to know for sure: www.carbonbrief.org/...).
US emissions increases drove much of the increase in global emissions in 2025.
US emissions increases drove much of the increase in global emissions in 2025.
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
I feel like I'm going crazy. "Drop the target but stay in Paris" is black and white legal nonsense but it's being repeated nonstop by press gallery journalists
You 👏 can't 👏 go 👏 backwards 👏 and 👏 comply 👏 with 👏 Paris
Literally cannot.
It's literally in the treaty and pretty much the whole point of it.
Literally cannot.
It's literally in the treaty and pretty much the whole point of it.
November 13, 2025 at 5:13 AM
I feel like I'm going crazy. "Drop the target but stay in Paris" is black and white legal nonsense but it's being repeated nonstop by press gallery journalists
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
CCS magick! Subsidised coal! Private mini nukes!
It's all just made up and will never even have to try and survive contact with the reality of an actual political or investment decision. But let's keep talking about it for weeks like it matters!
It's all just made up and will never even have to try and survive contact with the reality of an actual political or investment decision. But let's keep talking about it for weeks like it matters!
November 13, 2025 at 7:49 AM
CCS magick! Subsidised coal! Private mini nukes!
It's all just made up and will never even have to try and survive contact with the reality of an actual political or investment decision. But let's keep talking about it for weeks like it matters!
It's all just made up and will never even have to try and survive contact with the reality of an actual political or investment decision. But let's keep talking about it for weeks like it matters!
NEM review ToR to be updated: "Review of Market Settings in the National Electricity Market to Follow the Capacity Investment Scheme, but also maybe work with an expanded Capacity Investment Scheme"
November 13, 2025 at 7:56 AM
NEM review ToR to be updated: "Review of Market Settings in the National Electricity Market to Follow the Capacity Investment Scheme, but also maybe work with an expanded Capacity Investment Scheme"
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
Sorry but you can’t dump carbon neutrality and stay in the Paris Agreement. The Libs need to be pushed on this every day until the next election.
November 13, 2025 at 2:14 AM
Sorry but you can’t dump carbon neutrality and stay in the Paris Agreement. The Libs need to be pushed on this every day until the next election.
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
This great thread raises some questions worth thinking over:
1. Is all electricity demand equivalent, or should grid policy distinguish between demand that provides essential services (e.g. hospitals) and demand that doesn't (e.g. computers mining crypto in air conditioned warehouses)?
1. Is all electricity demand equivalent, or should grid policy distinguish between demand that provides essential services (e.g. hospitals) and demand that doesn't (e.g. computers mining crypto in air conditioned warehouses)?
I reckon the most interesting subset of discourse here is when presumed [good] factors are actually either actually bad, or there to downplay or dismiss the bad even if the amount of good is way smaller than the bad.
A short thread to explain: on "training for electrification" + "demand response"
A short thread to explain: on "training for electrification" + "demand response"
I would love it if public discourse on data centers could be just a skosh more sophisticated than "data centers good vs. data centers bad."
November 7, 2025 at 12:58 PM
This great thread raises some questions worth thinking over:
1. Is all electricity demand equivalent, or should grid policy distinguish between demand that provides essential services (e.g. hospitals) and demand that doesn't (e.g. computers mining crypto in air conditioned warehouses)?
1. Is all electricity demand equivalent, or should grid policy distinguish between demand that provides essential services (e.g. hospitals) and demand that doesn't (e.g. computers mining crypto in air conditioned warehouses)?
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
Wondering why no one likes your posts anymore, even among your friends? It's because @jay.bsky.team and team have decided to hide a huge amount of content from all of our feeds by default.
Here's how to turn it off.
First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner
Here's how to turn it off.
First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner
November 6, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Wondering why no one likes your posts anymore, even among your friends? It's because @jay.bsky.team and team have decided to hide a huge amount of content from all of our feeds by default.
Here's how to turn it off.
First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner
Here's how to turn it off.
First go to the hamburger menu in the upper left corner
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
“World’s first trillionaire” is a caricature of capitalism that even Engels would have struggled to credit
Musk gets his $1 trillion compensation package approved by Tesla shareholders.
Shareholders in the room chant "Elon, Elon, Elon!"
Shareholders in the room chant "Elon, Elon, Elon!"
November 6, 2025 at 11:10 PM
“World’s first trillionaire” is a caricature of capitalism that even Engels would have struggled to credit
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
PANIC!!
My @smh @theage cartoon
My @smh @theage cartoon
November 6, 2025 at 9:20 PM
PANIC!!
My @smh @theage cartoon
My @smh @theage cartoon
Amazing to see how well deregulation and liberalisation of the retail sector is working out
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Australians to get at least three hours a day of free solar power - even if they don’t have solar panels
Labor announces ‘solar sharer’ program for households in NSW, south-east Queensland and South Australia
www.theguardian.com
November 4, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Amazing to see how well deregulation and liberalisation of the retail sector is working out
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
It's Halloween, and to celebrate (?) I made a big scary decision...
I love climate research and polar science, but academia broke me. And more importantly, I feel like climate comms is where I can have more impact.
... So I've left academia. Wish me luck 🎃
More here: youtu.be/mw6miP-v1Ds
I love climate research and polar science, but academia broke me. And more importantly, I feel like climate comms is where I can have more impact.
... So I've left academia. Wish me luck 🎃
More here: youtu.be/mw6miP-v1Ds
I'm leaving academia (for now)
YouTube video by Dr Gilbz
youtu.be
October 31, 2025 at 10:09 AM
It's Halloween, and to celebrate (?) I made a big scary decision...
I love climate research and polar science, but academia broke me. And more importantly, I feel like climate comms is where I can have more impact.
... So I've left academia. Wish me luck 🎃
More here: youtu.be/mw6miP-v1Ds
I love climate research and polar science, but academia broke me. And more importantly, I feel like climate comms is where I can have more impact.
... So I've left academia. Wish me luck 🎃
More here: youtu.be/mw6miP-v1Ds
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
1/ How is Germany's #Energiewende going, and how should it proceed? In our brand-new piece in Communications Earth & Environment, we show that the expansion of variable renewables has progressed substantially in recent years, but electrification and flexibility have not kept pace. A short 🧵
Germany should accelerate its renewable energy transition - Communications Earth & Environment
Germany’s energy transition relies on variable renewables and electricity use across sectors, and it needs to accelerate. This Comment argues that consistent policy commitments to proven technologies,...
www.nature.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:31 PM
1/ How is Germany's #Energiewende going, and how should it proceed? In our brand-new piece in Communications Earth & Environment, we show that the expansion of variable renewables has progressed substantially in recent years, but electrification and flexibility have not kept pace. A short 🧵
Incredible crop of quandongs this year
November 2, 2025 at 12:53 AM
Incredible crop of quandongs this year
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
I quite enjoyed a lot of the takedowns of Bill Gates' EA brain snap on climate. It is really deadassed in a number of ways.
But no-one mentioned the most important thing. He isn't *just* full of shit. He knows he is full of shit.
I can prove it: timinclimate.medium.com/even-bill-ga...
But no-one mentioned the most important thing. He isn't *just* full of shit. He knows he is full of shit.
I can prove it: timinclimate.medium.com/even-bill-ga...
Even Bill Gates knows he is full of shit
Did you hear about that “one low-income country set out to cut emissions by banning synthetic fertilizers”?
timinclimate.medium.com
October 30, 2025 at 12:06 PM
I quite enjoyed a lot of the takedowns of Bill Gates' EA brain snap on climate. It is really deadassed in a number of ways.
But no-one mentioned the most important thing. He isn't *just* full of shit. He knows he is full of shit.
I can prove it: timinclimate.medium.com/even-bill-ga...
But no-one mentioned the most important thing. He isn't *just* full of shit. He knows he is full of shit.
I can prove it: timinclimate.medium.com/even-bill-ga...
Reposted by Dylan McConnell
here's a new one: a tribunal was holding a hearing over Microsoft Teams when they noticed ... an AI bot had joined the call
October 30, 2025 at 9:11 PM
here's a new one: a tribunal was holding a hearing over Microsoft Teams when they noticed ... an AI bot had joined the call
