West Australian regional energy provider Horizon Power has plugged in a vehicle-to-grid technology test in the northern resort town of Exmouth to trial the potential of bidirectional electric vehicle charging to optimise the use of renewable energy while maintaining network reliability.

The federal government’s 32 GW Capacity Investment Scheme is already bearing fruit with a competitive tender seeking 600 MW of energy storage capacity in Victoria and South Australia attracting 19,000 MW of project proposals.

New Zealand-based green hydrogen company Hiringa Energy has raised the bar for decarbonising the heavy transport sector by kickstarting an Australasian-wide refuelling network but the company has warned government policies are putting the brakes on its Australian plans.

Fifteen fire stations in Victoria’s northeast have been fitted with a combined 108 kW of rooftop solar in a move designed to improve energy security and increase community resilience during emergency events including extreme weather and bushfires.

The Australian Energy Market Commission has released a stakeholder driven consultation paper proposing a hybrid model to reform transmission access, aiming to minimise negative impacts on solar and other renewable investments being cannibalised by congestion.

Australia’s first large-scale solar garden will be officially launched in the New South Wales Riverina town of Grong Grong with hundreds of ‘gardeners’ on hand to celebrate the milestone that has allowed people previously locked out of rooftop PV to access the benefits of solar.

The first stage of Acen Australia’s planned 720 MW New England Solar Farm is home to more than 6,000 sheep that are grazing beneath the panels in a proof-of-concept agrivoltaics project that has no-one sitting on the fence regarding the results.

Australian National University researchers will put their heads together with Queensland tech company CQSola to find ways to accelerate commercialisation of a direct solar-to-hydrogen system as part of a newly funded project.

The Queensland government has promised to design a mandatory developer code for new renewable generation projects to put community engagement and social licence front and centre of the project development process.

Energy generating and retailing giant AGL and joint venture partner Someva Renewables have committed to provide local councils and community organisations with “tens of millions” of dollars in funding if their proposed 1.5 GW Pottinger Energy Park planned for the New South Wales Riverina region proceeds.