The Albanese government’s scheme to supercharge its flagging 82 per cent renewable energy goal for 2030 will kick off with a tender process targeting 6 gigawatts of renewables in May, but big questions remain around how the system will work and its cost.

The competitive bid process for what is expected to be mostly wind and solar power would be followed this year with a similar tender for 3GW of battery and other clean dispatchable capacity, as well as another for 4GW of additional renewables. More tenders would follow in 2025 and 2026, likely at six-month intervals, according to a paper released late last week.