Policy

Victoria will offer private landowners $200,000 (USD 134,400) for every kilometre of land over which they allow transmission lines to be installed as the state government looks to accelerate the development of new transmission infrastructure deemed critical to the future security of the energy grid.

A combined 60 MW of solar and 25 MWh of energy storage will be deployed at military sites across Australia as part of a government strategy to increase energy independence and security at the country’s Department of Defence facilities.

The Victorian government has provided its seal of approval to accelerate the development of a new high-capacity transmission line that will facilitate the increased flow of electricity between the Victorian and New South Wales grids, helping to maintain power supply reliability as coal-fired generation declines and retires.

The New South Wales Labor Party plans to tip in $1 billion (USD 690 million) to create a state-owned energy corporation which will partner with the private sector to accelerate investment in pumped hydro, community batteries and renewables to support the state’s energy transition.

Last December, Australia’s first large-scale battery funding round fast-tracked eight new grid-forming projects with a combined capacity of 2.0 GW / 4.2 GWh. That same month, the country’s fresh federal government announced it would enact a major underwriting scheme to incentivise renewable storage across the country. The moves echo those which inaugurated big solar in Australia, but the transformative potential of these storage plays will, it seems, take a different shape.

The Western Australian Government has launched a new $15 million (USD 10.3 million) grant program to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout the state and accelerate the uptake of zero emission vehicles.

The European Commission has presented the final version of its new rules for green hydrogen, with looser requirements to qualify hydrogen as “green.”

The Greens will back the government’s hallmark Safeguard Mechanism policy reforms, but only if the government agrees to a moratorium on new coal or gas projects. The Greens hold the balance of power on the policy’s fate and their resolution has sparked fears that Australia could see a repeat of the dreaded climate wars.

When US President Joe Biden signed the $500 billion (USD 369 billion) Inflation Reduction Act into law in August 2022, it was lauded as the most significant policy the world has yet seen to combat climate change and drive the transition to renewable energies. However, some international critics and competitors claim the landmark bill thwarts their slow-burning ambitions to foster green manufacturing at home. As governments scramble to respond to the scale of the IRA, Australia is one country realising it may have already been left behind.

If re-elected in March, the New South Wales Liberal and National coalition say they will fast track the rollout of public and private electric vehicle (EV) chargers by reforming strata and planning laws, and installing public facilities at transport hubs.