Opinion & Analysis

The severe heatwave that moved across Australia in recent weeks, initially in Western Australia, Queensland and then New South Wales, highlights that it is only going to get tougher to maintain a secure, reliable electricity system as our climate warms and demand for energy continues to increase.

The Engineering, Procurement, and Construction industry stands at the nexus of innovation and change in the renewable energy sector where tendering processes and project approval rates will become critical focal points for many firms and broader developers.

With small policy adjustments, Australia can enjoy a manufacturing renaissance that delivers jobs, growth and emissions reductions.

Australia has big plans for renewable energies. Its diplomacy has symbolised to the world that it is open to change, but further investment in grid and energy capabilities is still lacking.

Distributed energy resources (DERs), sometimes called “consumer energy resources”, like rooftop PV and residential batteries, have a big role to play in Australia’s energy transition. This is even more true as major infrastructure faces challenges in winning community acceptance and gaining the required approvals. But how best to manage expanding DERs? A team of UNSW researchers including Anna Bruce, Baran Yildiz, Dani Alexander, and Mike Roberts set out the challenges and opportunities.

During the global COP28 conference, discussions led by Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen once again centered on the need for greater urgency in delivering planned energy generation to accelerate the transition from fossil fuels to reach 2030 and 2050 clean energy targets.

Australia’s coal power stations will all close in 2038 – five years earlier than previously expected – and variable renewable energy capacity will need to triple by 2030 and increase sevenfold by 2050.

As negotiators stagger towards their beds in Dubai and another year’s climate talks come to a close, it’s time to take stock. Did COP28 achieve the big breakthrough the world needs on climate change?

* rooftop PV is a dominant factor, though there are others… such as the ongoing need for ‘Keeping the Lights on Services’ (which large-scale VRE largely does not supply).

Australia stands at the forefront of a remarkable opportunity to revolutionise the reduction of global carbon emissions and potentially reap billions in export earnings. The key lies in harnessing green hydrogen to produce environmentally friendly alternatives such as green steel, ammonia, cement, eFuels and mining explosives.