12/04/2026
Another excellent read from Adam Coates on Facebook. It is really worthwhile giving him a follow. đđ»
âIs the "Renewable Disaster" real, or just a well-funded campaign? Letâs talk about that One Nation post.
âYou might have seen Pauline Hansonâs One Nation claiming the renewables plan is a "trillion-dollar disaster" that "chews up farming land." Itâs a powerful narrative, but a March 2026 Australian Senate Inquiry just released a report that tells a much more complicated story about who is actually behind these claims.
âWho is funding the "Disaster" narrative?
âThe Senate Inquiry into Information Integrity recently exposed what it calls a "denial machine"âa coordinated network designed to flood your feed with doubt.
-â "Astroturfing" Exposed: The inquiry highlighted groups like "Australians for Natural Gas," which looks like a grassroots community group but was actually set up by the CEO of Tamboran Resources with help from the PR firm Freshwater Strategy.
-â Fabricated Data: Some groups, like Rainforest Reserves Australia, were even caught submitting fake data about "non-existent" wind farms to Senate inquiries to manufacture a sense of crisis.
-â The AI "Slop" Factor: In 2026, it is incredibly cheap to use AI to generate images of burning turbines or "destroyed" landscapes. These aren't meant to be true; they are meant to be shared.
-â Dark Money: While groups like One Nation frame themselves as fighting a "taxpayer racket," they often benefit from the political support of the fossil fuel lobbyâindustries that stand to lose billions if we switch to cheaper, cleaner power.
âThe Reality: What the Data Actually Says:
âIf we move past the PR campaigns, the 2026 operational data from AEMO and CSIRO shows the opposite of a "disaster."
-â The $1 Trillion Myth: The latest CSIRO GenCost (2025â26) report confirms that wind and solar are the cheapest forms of new energy in Australia. Even when you include the cost of big batteries to keep the grid reliable, they still easily beat coal and gas on price, with nuclear far behind.
-â Not "Chewing Up" Land, Sharing It: As someone in the ag industry, Iâm seeing the rise of Agrivoltaics. We aren't losing farms; we are seeing sheep grazing under solar panels. The shade reduces heat stress on livestock and helps soil retain moistureâitâs a win-win that provides farmers with a drought-proof income stream.
-â Reliability: Renewables now supply nearly 40% of our power. With big battery costs dropping another 15% this year, we are building a grid that is more resilient to global fuel price shocks than ever before.
âđ± The Solution for Australiaâs Future:
âAustralia isn't just "experimenting"âwe are a global leader.
-â Household Power: With 39% of homes now powered by rooftop solar, Australians are taking their power bills into their own hands, distributed power is real sovereignty.
-â Water Security: Unlike coal or nuclear plants that require billions of litres of water for cooling, solar and wind keep our precious water in the ground and for our crops.
âThe Bottom Line: The "disaster" narrative is a product designed to protect old interests. The real disaster would be walking away from the cheapest, most ecologically sound energy future weâve ever hadâ
The above is factual information regarding the lies, disinformation and the âdisasterâ narrative that surrounds anti-renewable rhetoric. This disaster narrative, as Adam Coates says, is designed to protect old interests, eg, fossil fuels. There is no question that renewables are the future. Fossil fuel companies are like cornered rats fighting for their survival. They will do anything
- lie, mislead, manipulate and divide entire countries to remain profitable and viable.