The broad contours of the federal government’s plan to introduce a Future Made in Australia Act foreshadow several positive directions. But the approach also holds clear risks and unanswered questions which will need to be addressed as the plan is fleshed out,

Solcast, a DNV company, reports that Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia, and New South Wales were over-performing solar regions in March. This overperformance in the southeast and southwest came despite most of the Australian continent seeing below-average irradiance, due to thicker-than-usual clouds over the sparsely-populated interior and tropics.

Solar SunShot is well named. The Australian government has announced it will plough $1 billion into bringing back solar manufacturing to Australia, boosting energy security, swapping coal and gas jobs for those in the solar industry, and guarding against supply chain shocks and geopolitical tension.

Electricity gen-tailer Origin Energy is currently in talks with the New South Wales government to extend the life of Australia’s biggest coal power clunker, the hyper-expensive, high-emissions, end-of-life 2.88 GW Eraring plant, beyond its slated closure date of August 2025. The reason cited for extension is to maintain reliable and secure energy supply in our state.

The main cost of an electric vehicle is its battery. The high cost of energy-dense batteries has meant EVs have long been more expensive than their fossil fuel equivalents. But this could change faster than we thought.

The consultation process has commenced on the design of the $1 billion Solar Sunshot program that aims to boost the development of Australia’s solar manufacturing industry and increase the nation’s role in the global solar manufacturing supply chain.

Australian solar and storage technology firm RayGen has secured more than $51 million in new funding to accelerate the commercialisation and deployment of its concentrated PV and thermal hydro long-duration energy storage technology.

Australia’s “largest-ever” tender for renewable energy will open next month with the federal government targeting 6 GW of new solar and wind projects as part of its expanded Capacity Investment Scheme that is seeking 32 GW of additional capacity to support the nation’s clean energy transition.

Embattled Australian electric vehicle fast-charger company Tritium is on the lookout for buyers after its directors declared the company to be insolvent and called in administrators.

Renewable energy advocates and investors have urged the federal government to pursue its commitment to the ambitious Future Made in Australia Act by backing it – and the country’s decarbonisation – with strategic budget support.

Energy generating and retailing giant AGL and joint venture partner Someva Renewables have committed to provide local councils and community organisations with “tens of millions” of dollars in funding if their proposed 1.5 GW Pottinger Energy Park planned for the New South Wales Riverina region proceeds.

What is being touted as Australia’s largest floating solar system has been activated with water utility Gippsland Water flicking the switch on a 350 kW array deployed atop a wastewater treatment plant in Victoria’s southeast.

As the Australian authorities launch rolling tenders for 32 GW of renewables and storage by 2030, it has become clear that some communities have not been brought onside. Heated debate on social media and a frenzy stoked by concerns about the impact on the natural environment are throwing up hurdles for renewables development.

The Queensland government has entrenched the transformation of the state’s energy grid by passing laws locking in 80% renewable energy generation by 2035, a move it expects will create more than 100,000 new jobs in manufacturing, renewable energy generation, power transmission and industries of the future.

New Zealand battery technology company ArcActive is planning to establish a manufacturing plant in Australia within 18 months that will be capable of producing 30,000 lead acid-based residential energy storage systems per year.

New South Wales-based clean energy company MGA Thermal has raised $5.7 million to prove the scale and industrial capabilities of its thermal energy storage technology that stores heat in blocks made largely from aluminium and graphite and dispatches it to generate electricity.

Australian clean energy and mobility company Pure Hydrogen is progressing with a multi-stage hydrogen plant and refuelling station development in Queensland with a green hydrogen baseline production of 420 kilograms per day.

Researchers in India have simulated a 4 kW solar power-based hybrid electric vehicle charging station using a three-stage charging strategy and found that the station is capable of charging 10–12 EVs with 48 V 30 Ah lithium-ion batteries.

Australian renewable energy businesses and technology manufacturers are in the box seat to play a pivotal role in the Asia Pacific region’s green economy transition but they have been urged to build their understanding of the market landscape so they are equipped to seize the opportunities on offer.

Renewables developer Vast Solar has inked key engineering contract as it pushes towards construction of a 30 MW concentrated solar thermal power plant with more than eight hours of energy storage capacity near Port Augusta in South Australia.

China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL) has launched its new TENER energy storage product, which it describes as the world’s first mass-producible 6.25 MWh storage system, with zero degradation in the first five years of use.

The Silicon to Solar report, partly funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, outlines ways to restore solar manufacturing to the nation with a little help from the country’s major trading partner – China.

The federal government has unveiled plans for a Future Made in Australia Act, proposing taxpayer-funded incentives to advance renewable energy industries, manufacturing, and infrastructure to stake Australia’s place in the global clean energy race.

Mounting system provider S-5! is to boost the size of its Australian catalogue with the impending launch of two new mounting components for rooftop PV systems, including a new mount that allows for module level power electronics to be attached directly to solar panel frames.

Building a domestic solar panel manufacturing industry based on Australian innovation could generate up to 60,000 jobs and help cement the nation’s future as a renewable energy superpower but access to capital and focused policies are essential if manufacturers are to reach scale where they can be cost competitive internationally.

Ireland-headquartered smart energy company GridBeyond plans to expand its operations in “key market” Australia as part of a broader global growth strategy after securing more than $86 million in new funding.

Australian soccer powerhouse Melbourne City FC has teamed with energy major Origin to install a 40 kW rooftop solar system and 13.5 kW battery energy storage system that will help power its newly opened City Football Academy in the Victorian capital.

Applications for the first West Australian tender under the Commonwealth government’s recently expanded Capacity Investment Scheme will open mid-year with an initial target of 2 GWh of renewable energy storage projects.

The first access rights for up to 6 GW of new solar, wind and storage capacity in the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone are now on offer as the New South Wales government continues to progress Australia’s first coordinated renewable energy zone to reality.

The company behind the 250 MW / 2 GWh Kidston pumped hydro project being developed in north Queensland has given the tick of approval to a $381 million takeover bid from Japanese energy giant J-Power.