Victoria

Australian energy major AGL has announced that Victoria’s largest hydropower scheme will undergo a $40 million expansion in a move designed to improve energy security and help support the state’s continued uptake of renewables.

Researchers at Melbourne’s Deakin University have discovered a novel way to separate, store and transport large amounts of gas. The method, they say, is efficient, affordable and creates no waste – carrying huge implications for the burgeoning green hydrogen industry and for the energy transition at large.

Victorian Opposition Leader Matthew Guy has vowed to “turbo-charge renewables”, promising at least one million additional Victorian homes would have solar PV and battery energy storage systems installed by 2035 if the Coalition is voted in at the November state election.

The Australian arm of global renewable energy developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures has pointed to the refinancing of its 100 MW Lilyvale Solar Farm in Queensland as a sign of renewed investor confidence in the nation’s renewables sector.

Australian renewables developer South Energy has announced a series of “significant milestones” with a trio of large-scale solar PV and battery projects, with an aggregated capacity of more than 390 MW, getting the tick of approval from relevant authorities.

The Victorian government has published its Gas Substitution Roadmap detailing regulatory and policy reform designed to help Australia’s biggest gas-consuming state fast-track its transition towards a renewable energy future and navigate the path to net-zero emissions.

The Victorian government has opened a new round of funding for a $20 million initiative designed to support projects that create long-term sustainable jobs, increase the uptake of renewable energy generation and drive innovation in new energy technologies.

A team of Australian scientists has declared the prospect of buildings, particularly those with glass facades, becoming close to self-powering is a step closer to realisation after developing a 15.5% efficient semi-transparent solar cell which allows more than 20% of visible light through.

The market operator today announced a “staged” return to the national energy market’s normal operations as 4000 MW of generation capacity comes back into operation.

After a bumpy start, the Victorian government’s Solar Homes Program is now in full swing, lead by strong uptake in Melbourne’s suburbs and the state’s rural north. Meanwhile, demand for batteries linked to rooftop solar has skyrocketed over the last month, spurred by the energy crisis and an especially cold winter.