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Chris Bowen

This Month

Uncle Paul Kabai, Uncle Pabai Pabai, and Aunty McRose Elu spoke to more than 150 Torres Strait Islanders outside the Federal Court in Cairns after the ruling

Court rules government has no duty to protect from climate change

The Federal Court has ruled the Commonwealth government does not have a duty of care over Torres Strait Islander people to protect them from climate change.

Australia’s top climate diplomat Kristin Tilley has left her post.

Australia loses top climate diplomat as COP bid on edge

The Albanese government has left a key diplomatic post vacant as it scrambles to secure hosting rights for a major UN climate summit next year.

More West Australians support onshore gas producers being allowed to export the commodity than oppose it, new polling suggests.

Japan’s warning over Albanese’s east-coast gas reserve

West Australian Premier Roger Cook says the federal government’s consideration of an east coast gas reserve has stirred concern in Japan.

An offshore wind farm.

Labor weighs critical aid package for Vic offshore wind

The federal government is actively negotiating with Victoria over funding support that would kickstart the state’s industry.

New emission standards could be a time bomb for car prices

Car groups say the government’s vehicle emissions scheme could come at a major cost to consumers, while forcing them to buy vehicles they don’t want.

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Port of Newcastle’s Clean Energy Precinct would involve hydrogen and ammonia.

New projects revive hopes for east coast hydrogen exports

Two projects at Newcastle, worth about $2 billion, are out to prove that Australia’s clean hydrogen vision isn’t dead – it will just require a more pragmatic approach.

Dead sea life in SA caused by the algal bloom

Bowen defends summit bid as climate action anger mounts

The Coalition and the Greens joined forces to put pressure on the government to act on an algal bloom that is killing untold numbers of marine wildlife.

Equinor has pulled out of three separate Australian offshore wind projects.

Oil and gas giant abandons third Australian offshore wind project

Norway’s Equinor has walked away from Tasmania’s only proposed offshore wind development, casting fresh doubt over its last remaining Australian project.

Solar and battery installers have reported a huge surge in demand.

Australians go mad for batteries as subsidies kick in

Australian households have installed more home batteries in the first five months of 2025 than they did in the whole of 2024.

June

Chris Bowen says it’s a “reasonable request” for Australians to have access to Australian gas.

‘The beginning of the end’: Labor eyes domestic gas reserve

Energy Minister Chris Bowen has flagged that new gas projects may be required to offer supply to domestic customers.

Boats from Iran’s Revolutionary Guard circle the British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero days after it was seized in the Strait of Hormuz in 2019.

Iran threat a wake-up call for Australia’s fuel reserves

The Iran conflict is a timely reminder Australia needs to build onshore fuel reserves with current supplies well short of the target 90 days.

Victoria is turning to LNG imports as a solution to its gas supply problems.

Gas import plan in limbo as states’ meeting delayed

A scheduled mid-July meeting of state and federal ministers to sign off on the plan to use imported LNG will no longer go ahead.

MST Marquee analyst Saul Kavonic.

Outspoken Santos analyst retracts his observation

Saul Kavonic’s observation of the oil and gas company’s director shares was clarified on Thursday.

AGL says it pays up to $25 million a year on meeting regulation costs – some of which is inevitably passed on to consumers.

$25m a year on red tape is driving up power prices: AGL

The boss of the country’s largest energy retailer says excessive red tape is contributing to the hefty price hikes that Chris Bowen blames on high retail costs.

Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen.

Power price crackdown to aid households: Bowen

The system used to cap standing offer prices for household electricity isn’t working and will be overhauled, the energy minister says.

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Woodside’s North West Shelf gas project in WA.

Albanese praises Western Australia’s gas reservation policy

The Albanese government will conduct a review energy policy including whether a portion of gas produced on the east coast should be reserved to avoid energy shortages.

Australia’s offshore wind industry has not yet moved beyond the planning phase.

NSW offshore wind blown off course amid global uncertainty

A global renewables developer recently targeted by the Trump administration has delayed its Australian offshore wind plans.

Gas tanker

Future gas reservation won’t get us over ‘valley of death’: energy CEO

EnergyQuest chief executive Rick Wilkinson said a prospective change to reserves was “unlikely to solve the problem” of Australia’s east coast gas shortage.

May

Chris Bowen came out of the election well.

Bowen enjoys AEMO energy boost

The climate change and energy minister is the happy recipient of some good timing.

An Australian windfarm

Nuclear fantasy gone but renewables reality remains

Labor was able to bury the Coalition’s plans for a nuclear energy future. But now the high costs of Australia’s energy challenge are coming back into focus.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/person/chris-bowen-2fb