Danish Wind Giant to Trial Red Turbine Blades to Further Reduce Risk of Bird Collisions
Danish turbine maker Vestas will install a single red blade on each of seven turbines at the 760 MW Hollandse Kust West VI offshore wind farm to test whether brighter blades reduce bird strikes. The colour was selected after black and fluorescent options were dismissed for overheating and durability concerns. The trial is part of an Ecowende‑led study that also incorporates taller turbines, noise‑reduction foundations and post‑construction reef‑building to protect marine life. Early scientific work suggests bird mortality from turbines may be lower than previously reported.
AGL Gets Federal Green Tick for Big Battery in Coal Country, with Conditions to Protect Local Legless Lizard
AGL Energy secured federal environmental approval for its 150 MW/300 MWh Muswellbrook battery storage project in New South Wales. The EPBC clearance comes with strict conditions to avoid and offset impacts on the endangered Hunter Valley Delma legless lizard. The battery, slated...
Developer of Australia’s Biggest Renewable Projects to Offer Cheap Power Below $66/MWh for Data Centres
InterContinental Energy, developer of Australia’s 26 GW Australian Renewable Energy Hub and 70 GW Western Green Energy Hub, announced power contracts for data centres at less than $48 per megawatt‑hour (about A$66/MWh). The offer relies on 2 GW “Lego‑block” nodes that combine roughly...
Twiggy Forrest’s Squadron Hits Pause on New England Wind Plans as It Works Through “Project Issues”
Squadron Energy has placed its 426 MW Booralong wind project near Armidale on hold while it reviews a set of "project issues." The pause follows recent portfolio moves, including the sale of a 75% stake in Windlab to Federation Asset Management...
Energy Ministers Seek Solution to Tax Trap for Landowners Seeking Compensation for Transmission Lines
Australian state energy ministers are working to remove a tax trap that treats compensation for hosting transmission lines as a capital‑gains sale, eroding payouts for landowners. The Australian Tax Office’s classification can levy up to 45% tax, discouraging participation in...
Workforce Installs Last of 609,522 Panels at Major New Solar and Battery Project
Iberdrola Australia announced the installation of the final 609,522 solar panels, completing the 377 MW (dc) Broadsound solar farm in central Queensland. The co‑located 180 MW/360 MWh battery has entered AEMO’s testing phase, moving the project toward full commercial operation. The build involved...
Australia’s Data Centre Dilemma: Will They Bring an Energy Boom or Bust?
Australia is rapidly becoming an AI‑infrastructure hub, with more than 270 data centres operating or planned nationwide. Tech giants have pledged massive investments – Microsoft announced a $25 billion AUD (≈$16.5 bn USD) three‑year build‑out, Google is weighing a $20 billion AUD (≈$13.2 bn...
Energy Policy Divide Deepens as One State Withholds Support for Key National Reforms to Boost Renewables
Australia’s Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council approved a legislative package for the Electricity Services Entry Mechanism (ESEM), a voluntary framework designed to bridge short‑term retail contracts and long‑term certainty for large‑scale wind, solar and battery projects. Queensland, however, withheld...
One Nation Now Represents Two of Australia’s Best Wind and Solar Regions, and They Think It’s a Scam
One Nation’s David Farley won the Farrer seat with 57% of the two‑candidate‑preferred vote, placing the right‑wing populist party in charge of the South‑West Renewable Energy Zone in New South Wales. The electorate hosts 203 wind, solar and battery projects...
Winter Can Bring You New Energy: Install a Small Power Station and Interrogate Your Bills
Winter highlights energy inefficiencies across Australian homes, from leaky rentals in the south to inadequate hot‑water systems in the north. The article urges homeowners to install rooftop solar and battery storage, leverage the Small‑scale Renewable Energy Scheme rebate, and shift...
Mining Giant Signs 30-Year Off-Take Deal to Underpin Indigenous-Led Pilbara Solar and Battery Project
The Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation (YEC) has reached financial close on the Jinbi Solar Project in Western Australia, securing a 30‑year power purchase agreement that will supply 100% of its output to Rio Tinto. The first phase will deliver 75 MW of solar...
From Cars to Coastal Shipping, We Can Electrify Almost Everything, According to Electrification Staircase
The newly released Electrification Staircase, created by former Bloomberg NEF founder Michael Liebreich and co‑authors, maps out which sectors can realistically shift to electricity and which remain speculative. It positions cars, trains, EVs and new‑build heating at the top of the...
SwitchedOn Podcast: Opening the Front Door to Sustainable Homes
Helen Oakey, CEO of Renew, highlighted Australia’s shift toward retrofitting and electrifying homes ahead of Sustainable House Day. The event showcases real‑world upgrades—insulation, heat pumps, batteries, and all‑electric renovations—demonstrating how older housing can become healthier, more comfortable, and cheaper to...
Fox ESS Celebrates Strong Momentum at Smart Energy 2026
Fox ESS used its platinum sponsorship at Smart Energy 2026 to showcase a full suite of integrated solar‑storage and EV‑charging solutions for Australian homes. The company highlighted market momentum, reporting more than 25,000 battery installations in April and a No. 1 ranking...
Landholder-Led 4-Hour Big Battery Gets Federal Environmental All-Clear in Just over Four Weeks
The 500 MW, four‑hour Murchs Corner battery energy storage system in western Victoria secured federal environmental clearance after just over four weeks in the EPBC queue. Led by local farming landowners and developer Alternate Path, the project will sit on cleared...
“I Thought This Was Impossible:” Fortescue Green Grid Rides Through Transmission Failure with No Fossil Fuels
Fortescue announced that its inverter‑based green grid kept 85 MW of load online after bushfires knocked out all thermal generators on 1 October. The incident proved that solar, wind and battery storage can sustain a large‑scale industrial network without fossil backup. CEO...
Fund Nears Financial Close for Wind and Storage Projects, with Victoria Big Battery Extension First to Go
Listed fund HMC Capital is moving toward financial close on its first wind and battery projects, with the $363 million extension of Victoria’s Big Battery (VBB2) expected to be the first to reach final investment decision by end‑2026. The fund aims...
“Definitely Not Good Policy:” Experts Skewer LNP Plan to Pause Major Transmission Upgrades
Victorian Liberal Party (LNP) announced that, if it wins the November state election, it will review the Victorian Transmission Plan and pause two major grid projects – the Victoria‑to‑New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West) and the Western Renewables Link. The projects, originally...
Federal Green Bank Backs Contentious State Transmission Project, to “Significantly Lower Costs to Consumers”
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) is providing roughly $800 million USD from the Rewiring the Nation Fund to underwrite almost the entire $860 million USD cost of the first stage of Tasmania's North West Transmission Developments (NWTD). The project will upgrade...
Energy Insiders Podcast: The Man Who Saved Solar and Helped Kill Coal
John Grimes of the Smart Energy Council explains how rapid solar adoption and a surge in home‑battery installations have hastened the shutdown of coal plants across Australia. He details a panel‑by‑panel transition that saw coal output fall while solar capacity...
Beyond ‘Bigger Is Better’: Anker Solix Unveils XE, the Next-Gen Dual-Cycle Home Battery
Anker SOLIX launched the XE, a next‑generation 7 kWh modular home battery, at the Smart Energy Conference on 6 May. Designed for Australia’s new tiered Cheaper Home Batteries Program, the XE captures the full federal rebate by pairing two modules for a 14 kWh,...
“Blows Your Mind:” Regulator Says Boom in Home Batteries and PV Puts 82 Pct Renewables Within Reach
Australia’s Clean Energy Regulator says the surge in rooftop solar and home battery installations has brought the nation’s 82 percent renewable‑energy target for 2030 within realistic reach. Household adoption, driven by a federal rebate, has pushed battery storage to 11 GWh and...
Australian Solar Company Signs Historic Deal to Help “Entire Country” Quit Diesel Power
Australian solar services firm Smart Commercial Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Republic of Nauru to install an 18‑megawatt solar plant and 40 megawatt‑hour battery system. The project aims to replace the island’s reliance on about 8 million litres...
Federal Labor Unveils Plans for Fossil Gas Reservation to Ensure Share of Production Is Not Exported
Energy Minister Chris Bowen announced a new east‑coast gas reserve that will require exporters to set aside 20% of their output for the Australian market starting July 2027. The reservation applies to contracts signed after the policy takes effect and...
The Spot Mirage: Low Wholesale Prices Show the Future, but Are a Poor Signal for New Wind and Solar
Wholesale electricity prices in Australia’s NEM have fallen so low that they cannot fund new wind or solar projects, creating a looming two‑year supply gap once the current 4 GW of large‑scale renewables are commissioned. The shortfall stems from oversupply, which...
How Mapping of PV “Fingerprints” Can Indicate What the Rooftop Solar Juggernaut Will Do Next
Julian de Hoog’s Solstice AI uses house‑level rooftop solar data—so‑called “fingerprints”—to deliver minute‑by‑minute generation forecasts for Australia’s National Electricity Market. By pairing satellite‑identified panel locations with homeowner‑consented inverter readings, the platform can detect cloud‑induced output drops far more accurately than AEMO’s weather‑based...
State Energy Minister Says Impact of Home Storage in “Baking Hot Summer” Shows Grid at Turning Point
New South Wales energy minister Penny Sharpe declared a turning point in Australia’s green‑energy transition, citing a six‑month surge in home battery installations. Renewables have overtaken coal on the national grid, and more than 381,000 residential batteries are now credited...
Best-Selling Battery Supplier Installs 25,000 Systems in a Month, Says Bigger Still Better After Rebate Changes
Chinese battery maker Fox ESS reported installing 25,000 home storage systems in Australia in April, more than double its March volume and surpassing February’s 12,000 installs. The company continues to champion larger‑capacity units, especially 28 kWh and 42 kWh models, even as...
“It’s Enormous:” AGL Sees 7-Fold Leap in AI Data Centre Demand, Says New Big Batteries Will Boost Coal Returns
AGL Energy warned that AI‑driven data‑centre demand in Australia could surge to 34 TWh, a seven‑fold increase from today’s 5 TWh. The utility expects its coal‑heavy Bayswater plant to benefit from two new 500 MW batteries, potentially raising its average price to $93/MWh....
Solar Insiders Podcast: The Small Company Taking Giant Steps to Close the Energy Gap
Original Power, a boutique solar developer, is scaling up projects to bridge the energy gap for First Nations communities in Australia’s Northern Territory. The company’s podcast appearance highlights its strategy of deploying micro‑grids powered by rooftop and community solar arrays,...
Survey Finds Most Australians Support Fuel Tax Credit Cap, and Didn’t Know Miners Pocketed so Many Billions
A nationwide online poll of 5,238 Australians found 77% support capping diesel fuel tax credits for the 20 largest mining firms at $50 million AUD (about $33 million USD) per year. While 51‑49% initially approved mining rebates, approval plunged to a 16%...
National Fuel Reserve “Future-Proofed” In $10 Billion Plan, but Critics Say It Is “Junk Logic”
Australia announced a $10 billion AUD (~$6.6 billion USD) energy and fertiliser security package that will expand on‑shore fuel reserves to at least 50 days of supply. The plan includes a permanent, government‑owned reserve of about 1 billion litres funded at $3.2 billion AUD...
How Rooftop Solar and Home Batteries Became “Kryptonite” To Big Coal and the Fossil Fuel Industry
John Grimes, long‑time CEO of the Smart Energy Council, described rooftop solar and home batteries as the "kryptonite" of Australia’s fossil‑fuel lobby, pointing to the 2014 SRES scheme’s survival and the 2026 Cheaper Home Batteries program that has installed more...
Neoen Powers up One of Australia’s Biggest Solar Farms, Co-Located Big Battery to Come
Neoen Australia has placed its 440 MW Culcairn solar farm into service, making it the company’s second‑largest solar asset worldwide. The 1,000‑hectare site, built with 760,000 panels and 600 peak‑construction workers, will generate enough electricity to power roughly 160,000 homes each...
Real Zero Means Not Having to Worry About Despots, Oligarchs, Fruitcakes and Invaders, Says Forrest
Andrew Forrest is accelerating Fortescue Metals' drive to eliminate diesel use, targeting "real zero" emissions by 2030 and a fully renewable power grid by 2025. The plan replaces 700 million litres of diesel—costing about $0.8 billion USD each year—with electric haul trucks,...
The Driven Podcast: EV Sales Surge, FBT Survives, and Petrol Starts to Wobble
The Driven Podcast highlighted a record month for electric‑vehicle (EV) sales in Australia, with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) achieving an unprecedented 34 percent EV share. The episode explored the next phase of the federal EV tax credit and its potential...
Key Wind, Solar and Network Projects to Be Fast-Tracked in Race to Quit Coal and Power Smelter
The New South Wales Labor government is introducing the Energy Legislation Amendment (Prioritising Renewable Energy) Bill 2026 to fast‑track wind, solar and network projects by creating a priority list and limiting objections from distant parties. The reforms aim to replace...
Former Macquarie Bankers Plan One of Australia’s Biggest Six-Hour Batteries with 4,800 MWh of Storage
Former Macquarie bankers, now operating as BLT Energy, have filed a planning application for the Red Gully battery, an 800 MW, six‑hour (4,800 MWh) storage system near Gingin, Western Australia. The project will begin with a $1 billion first stage delivering 400 MW and...
Aussie Researchers Harness AI to Help Unlock “Cheap, Scalable, Non-Toxic” Solar Recycling
Australian researchers at the University of New England are using AI to speed up the discovery of solvents that can extract pure silicon from end‑of‑life solar panels. Predictive, generative and agentic models suggest candidates, which are then tested in a...
EPBC Waves Through Two New Big Battery Projects, Including Robot-Ready, Concrete-Free Solar Hybrid
The federal environment regulator approved two large battery projects, but with markedly different timelines. South Australia’s 150 MW, 600 MWh Kincraig battery took just over five months to clear the EPBC process, while Queensland’s 400 MW, 2,000 MWh Tumuruu battery, paired with a solar...
SwitchedOn Podcast: How I Electrified – the Unexpected Payoffs From Ditching Gas at Home
Richard and Lisa Smithers retrofitted their Melbourne home to run entirely on electricity, replacing gas appliances with solar panels, a battery, and electric heat pumps. The transition, driven by falling technology costs and available financing, delivered lower energy bills, higher...
“The Right Person:” SEC Names New Leader to Replace Long-Serving CEO John Grimes
The Smart Energy Council (SEC) announced that David McElrea, its chief advocacy officer, will succeed long‑time CEO John Grimes on May 15. Grimes, who has led the independent Australian renewables body for almost 18 years, will move to head the newly created Renewable...
Australia’s Coal Mines Haven’t Cut Methane Emissions, but Hidden Them with Offsets and Accounting Tricks
Ember’s latest analysis shows Australia’s coal‑mine methane (CMM) emissions fell to 22.1‑22.4 MtCO₂e in FY2025, a 3.5% drop that stems from mine shutdowns, accounting shifts and a surge in carbon‑offset purchases rather than genuine on‑site abatement. Underground‑mine closures and operational disruptions,...
FranklinWH Introduces Enhanced 15 kWh aPower in Australia and New Zealand
FranklinWH launched an upgraded 15 kWh aPower battery in Australia and New Zealand, expanding usable capacity from 13.6 kWh to 15 kWh and boosting warrantied throughput by 40% to 60 MWh. The enhancement keeps the same footprint and price while promising up to $3,900 in...
Big Batteries Set New Charging Records, Despite Lack of Price Volatility
New South Wales set two battery‑charging records on May 2, with charge share climbing to 11.9% of consumption and power input reaching 1,240 MW. The fleet absorbed about 4.47 GWh at an average price of $10.4 USD/MWh and discharged 3.31 GWh at $38.8 USD/MWh, yielding a...
No More Dark Side of the Grid: The Fossil Fuel Empire Loses Ground to Renewables and Storage
Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) saw renewables and storage supply just over half of its electricity in Q4 2025, pushing coal to its lowest quarterly output since the market began. Battery discharge tripled, wind and solar hit record output, and wholesale...
Six Wind Farms, Two Solar Hybrids and Seven-Hour Batteries Win Key CIS Tenders Ahead of Coal Closure
Western Australia announced winners of two Capacity Investment Scheme tenders, covering six wind farms, two solar‑battery hybrids and two seven‑hour battery projects. The generation tender will add 1.9 GW of wind and solar capacity and 2.1 GWh of storage, while the dispatchable...
“Let’s Actually Get Projects up and Running:” Report Warns Australia’s Green Iron Edge Is at Risk
A Climate Energy Finance report warns Australia’s lead in green iron is slipping as no project has reached a final investment decision. The country tracks 11 proposals but lacks commercial‑scale plants, while the Middle East and North Africa are moving...
New Changes Trim “Essential” REZ Transmission Route to Avoid Caves – and Another 50 Landholders
EnergyCo has trimmed the proposed transmission corridor for New South Wales' New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) from a 3 km to a 1 km width, cutting the number of affected landholders from roughly 200 to 150. The adjustment also reduces dwellings...
Energy Insiders Podcast: Electric Trucks Are Profitable, but Diesel Struggles
The Energy Insiders podcast highlighted that electric trucks, especially those using Janus Electric’s battery‑swap system, are now more profitable than traditional diesel rigs. CEO Ben Hutt explained how rapid cost declines and reduced downtime make the electric model financially attractive....