Policy

Solar panel manufacturing in Australia has reached a new zenith with a commitment by two industry leaders to explore the possibilities of establishing a commercial-scale advanced solar panel manufacturing facility in the heart of New South Wales coal country.

The Australian government will commit $1 billion to help build a domestic solar panel manufacturing industry that it anticipates will underpin the nation’s future as a renewable energy superpower.

The Australian government has introduced legislation to parliament to establish a new independent statutory authority that it expects will serve as a catalyst for the major project development, and private and public investment needed to support the clean energy transition.

The Queensland government has formally identified 12 potential renewable energy zones across the state as part of its plans to connect 22 GW of new grid-scale wind and solar generation needed to help achieve its clean energy targets.

Victorian electricity distributor Powercor has identified a clutch of towns in the state’s central highlands region as possible hosts for community-scale microgrids as it works to deliver improved energy security and reliability for customers across the state.

The private owner and operator of South Australiaʼs electricity transmission network has laid out its plans to manage the challenges and opportunities of the state’s energy transition, including investing in major transmission projects to serve an expected increase in demand.

Western Australian government-owned utility Synergy has commenced construction of its third grid-scale battery as the state government looks to ramp up energy storage capacity to support its planned transition from coal-fired power generation to renewables.

A coalition of leading interest groups across Australia has called on the federal government to introduce local content requirements in renewable energy projects. Multiple economic, business and social benefits for the Australian economy would result, according to the groups.

Social housing advocate group Shelter WA has called on the Western Australian government to invest in the energy efficiency of social housing. With rising temperatures, upgrading energy efficiency in social housing, including solar and energy storage, would alleviate power bills as well as state healthcare costs.

Premier Jacinta Allan today announced that the Victorian government will accelerate planning approvals for renewable energy projects. The move is meant to ensure that projects that bring energy prices down can come online with greater speed.