Power sector emissions jump most in decade as black coal use surges, Australian report says
According to Pitt & Sherry energy consultants, carbon emissions from Australia's main electricity grid have surged between June and July, as the use of black and brown coal increases since the repeal of the carbon tax last year. This has added an extra seven million tonnes of carbon dioxide to Australia's emissions, ahead of the government outlining Australia's post-2020 emissions target in Paris this December.  
Carbon emissions from the country's main electricity grid have jumped at an annual rate of about 2 million tonnes in the past two months, the quickest pace in more than a decade, according to analysis by energy consultancy Pitt & Sherry.

The emissions surge analysis comes with the Abbott government due to announce its post-2020 carbon-cutting goals. It also comes as United States President Barack Obama unveiled new emissions reduction efforts largely aimed at the power sector.

Since October last year, the average standing offer annual bill for a typical five-person household has increased from $2188 to $2569. Credit: Andrew Quilty

The surge in emissions in June and July from the National Electricity Market (NEM) was equal to about 1.2 per cent at an annualised rate, and was triggered by the removal of the carbon price a year ago and a diversion of lower-emissions gas to more lucrative export markets.

Black and brown coal accounted for 76.3 per cent of the NEM supply in July, up from 74.9 per cent in April, driving emissions higher as they supplanted lower emissions-intensive gas.