Markets & Policy

Victoria’s newly released state budget includes $1 billion (USD 670 million) for the resurrected government energy outfit, the State Electricity Commission, almost $200 million for clean energy education, as well as funding to streamline critical minerals projects and to install 100 new neighbourhood batteries.

Maxeon Solar Technologies, the producer of the Maxeon and SunPower solar module brands, is raising capital from a USD 157.4 million ($237 million) underwriting of shares and a separate USD 42 million ($63 million) private placement with TCL Zhonghuan.

The Energy Security Board has been scrapped with Australia’s federal, state and territory energy ministers opting to replace it with a new “fit-for-purpose” advisory panel that is better able to meet the challenges of the energy transformation taking place in the national electricity market.

The rollout of rooftop solar in the coastal town of Broome in northern Western Australia has received a major boost with a 274.45 kW PV system installed at the local high school as the state government continues its push to deliver solar energy solutions for its remote and regional schools.

As part of its long-term plan to transition from coal-fired power generation to clean energy New South Wales has launched another renewable energy tender seeking at least 950 MW of wind and solar capacity and 550 MW of long-duration storage.

Australia and the United States have signed a landmark agreement with the two nations vowing to work collaboratively towards accelerating and expanding clean energy supply chains, renewable energy technologies manufacturing, and critical minerals supply.

Chinese researchers have developed a solar cell using CsSnI3 perovskite, known for its unique phase transitions and near-IR emissions. By simulating the device with various electron transport layers (ETLs) and hole transport layers (HTLs), they determined that the optimal cell could be created using a titanium oxide (TiO2) ETL and a nickel(II) oxide (NiOx) HTL.

In what it says is an Australian first, Queensland network operator Powerlink will offer owners of land adjacent to new transmission lines compensation payments as it looks to roll out new infrastructure to ensure the future security of the energy grid.

Electricity retailer Zen Energy continues to grow its renewable energy portfolio, penning a long-term deal with Greek resources and renewables company Mytilineos to purchase power from its Wagga Wagga South Solar Farm in New South Wales.

Queensland clean tech company Graphene Manufacturing Group has signed a deal with global mining giant Rio Tinto with the goal of accelerating the development and application of its graphene aluminium-ion battery technology in the mining and minerals industry.