Policy

The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development, has committed $1.86 million (USD 1.2 million) to support the development of a solar-powered microgrid in Papua New Guinea’s Central province.

The Australian Energy Market Commission has proposed new rules that would require developers planning major transmission projects to consult with communities and affected stakeholders earlier in the projects’ development.

A lack of clear policy support, raw material dependency, and higher production costs are inhibiting the localisation of European solar manufacturing, despite strong demand, writes Edurne Zoco, executive director for clean energy technology at S&P Global.

South Australia’s planned transition to a zero-emissions public transport system has reached a major milestone with the electrification of the passenger rail line between Adelaide’s CBD and Gawler in the north now complete.

Singapore-headquartered solar manufacturer Maxeon Solar Technologies will invest more than $1.5 billion (USD 1 billion) to establish a TOPCon manufacturing facility in the United States, creating up to 1,800 highly skilled jobs.

Australian households that make the shift to all-electric energy-efficient appliances, combined with solar panels, battery storage and electric vehicles, could save $3,500 a year by 2030 and $4,320 by 2050 compared with a fossil-fuelled household that relies on gas appliances and petrol or diesel vehicles.

Australia’s national science agency will lead a ‘smart buildings’ pilot project that has the potential to create a new ecosystem of technologies and solutions to support flexible demand for energy, offering a way to ease pressure on the grid during peak demand periods.

As the nation looks to foster the perfect conditions for a successful renewable transition, overwhelming attention is being paid to the number of new energy developments and the viability of transmission infrastructure to deliver it to Australian homes. Far less publicised are the practicalities of how the infrastructure will be developed and by whom.

American investment giant BlackRock has teamed with the New Zealand government to launch a NZ$2 billion (AUD 1.86 billion) climate infrastructure fund to accelerate the growth of green energy technologies like solar, wind, green hydrogen and battery storage to fuel a low-emissions economy.

The size of Australia’s first coordinated renewable energy zone is set to be increased with the New South Wales government announcing the network capacity of the declared Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone will be expanded to better meet the state’s future energy needs as coal-fired power stations progressively retire.