Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Advanced Silicon Photovoltaics and Photonics has not been successful in securing CRC funding for the next round
(or that is what seems to have happened http://indymedia.org.au/2010/07/29/pioneering-solar-photovoltaic-centre-of-excellence-loses-research-funding )
Is this an election ploy by Labor - refuse the funding, wait a week while the screams subside, then announce 'new, improved, brighter' funding from a 'new, shinier, more populace-informed-group-supported' source only a week before the election so that it will still be front and centre in people's minds as we enter the voting booth?
I hope it is a ploy. A ploy that demonstrates the scatologically poor standard of Australian politics and of our government's opinion of the thinking of Australian voters.
However, there is a real chance that funding will not be restored. This would support the Australia-as-quarry school of thought. The Dutch curse that as long as there is something to dig up and bucket onto a ship then the rest of the populace can continue to watch low rate American imported TV and we will all be happy. Until the quarry runs out.
In which case renewable energy installation companies that can import their technology including CBD, SOO, AIR, AFT will continue.
Some which make and develop their own technology like CBD will unfortunately do so well (comparatively) as their investment in the intellectual property will continue to be under-recognized in investment credits, research support in universities, CSIRO and in-house and taxation in favour of big holes in the ground and bigger ships.
I fantasize that Solarfeen has spent the last two weeks in lock-up with Penny, Jules and Fergie cooking up a renewable energy strategy for release in the last stages of the election campaign. I live in hope.
CBD Price at posting:
12.0¢ Sentiment: Hold Disclosure: Held
