Queensland government-owned energy company Energex is pushing ahead with the deployment of up to 35 pole- and ground-mounted community batteries in the city of Ipswich as it explores how to best store and reuse solar energy from the state’s approximately 1 million rooftop solar systems.

Consultation on Tasmania’s proposed first coordinated renewable energy zone in the state’s northwest has begun, putting the Apple Isle a step closer to its legislated target to be 200% powered by renewables by 2040.

Distributed network service providers CitiPower and Powercor’s first flexible electricity competitions in Victoria are now open with the operators seeking third-party options to help solve constraints and deliver flexible capacity across their networks.

Spending on building renewable energy infrastructure is forecast to peak at $20 billion in 2026, stimulated by the Australian government’s target of 82% electricity from renewables by 2030, but caution remains over workforce capability.

Residents in the remote Northern Territory community of Marlinja are preparing to power up what is being described as Australia’s first 100% First Nations-owned and grid-connected solar microgrid.

Development of the Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone is predicted to now accelerate with the federal government’s green bank announcing a $490 million commitment to support the development of key grid infrastructure in the New South Wales central west.

The New South Wales government has confirmed the Eraring Power Station will remain open two years beyond its planned 2025 closure date, with the black coal-fired power plant to now remain in operation until August 2027, with the potential for a further extension until April 2029.

The CSIRO GenCost report shows renewables remain the cheapest new build electricity technology in Australia, with utility-scale solar emerging as the golden child, despite inflationary pressures, supply chain constraints and costs associated with additional storage and transmission.

Decarbonising the transport sector has taken to the skies thanks to Australian zero emission aircraft designer and manufacturer AMSL Aero, which is testing its hybrid electric hydrogen powered vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft in central western NSW.

Registration is now open for the first national tender in the Australian government’s Capacity Investment Scheme that is seeking 32 GW of additional renewable energy generation and dispatchable storage capacity by 2030 to support the nation’s clean energy transition.