Policy

The newly elected South Australian premier Peter Malinauskas has today launched the market sounding for its hydrogen production facility near Whyalla, as well as the introduction of legislation to regulate hydrogen production, storage and transportation. 

A parliamentary committee has recommended the Victorian government explore options to allow greater integration of distributed energy resources, including rooftop solar PV into the grid as climate activists urge the state to ramp up its renewable energy ambitions.

The remarkable results of what is already being called a ‘historic’ 2022 Federal Election have put Australia “back on the map” in the eyes of big low-carbon investors.

The Australian Energy Regulator has begun consultations to allow distributor-led standalone power systems (SAPS) to become part of the national electricity system. Proving highly successful in Western Australia, these SAPS could soon be properly rolled out in the east.

It’s been just over 24 hours since Anthony Albanese was sworn in as the new prime minister of Australia and already his government is coming under heat for its longstanding refusal to block the 114 coal and gas projects under development in Australia, especially the recently approved Scarborough and Beetaloo projects. With a number of seats still in doubt, Labor may need to up its ambition with the ‘Greenslide’ election on Saturday leaving little doubt about Australian’s desire for climate action.

In other news, Zhonghuan Semiconductor announced it will begin selling 210 mm n-type wafers and the local government in Zhejiang Province said it wants to deploy another 12.4 GW of new PV by 2024.

Incoming Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese has promised to make the nation a “renewable energy superpower” in the wake of Labor’s federal election victory at the weekend.

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced a mandate for rooftop solar on commercial and public buildings by 2027, and for residential buildings by 2029. The EU target for renewable energy has been increased from 40% to 45%.

Australia’s rooftop solar industry has undergone a significant change with a new national standard that removes the requirement for rooftop PV installations to include a DC isolator now in effect.

A $150 million loan scheme introduced by the Australian Capital Territory government has sparked an uptake of rooftop solar in Canberra with more than 20MW of new solar PV rolled out across roofs in the nation’s capital.