NewsBite

Energy & Climate

April

Woodside’s Karratha gas plant.

Woodside’s Louisiana gas exposes Australia’s strategic energy error

Rather than block gas development, Australia should encourage gas as a back-up for renewables and as a replacement for coal in Asia.

‘Stop’: Home battery sales crater as buyers wait on rebate

Installers say home battery sales have tanked since Labor unveiled its subsidy package, creating short-term cash flow and planning difficulties for firms.

Voters in Coalition-held seats are the most enthusiastic adopters of rooftop solar.

The electorates with the most solar panels are not where you’d think

The uptake of rooftop solar panels in Dickson is far greater than in Anthony Albanese’s seat but the Coalition won’t back a household battery subsidy.

Accounting changes explain drastic emissions reductions at some coal mines

Accounting change scrambles coal mine emissions

Changes to measurement methods have led several major coal mines to report drastically lower carbon emissions in 2024.

New life in the green room: repurposed turbine blade strips built into the deck for strength and flex control.

Turbine blades shredded and reborn as gnarly surfboards

The project is more than just an experiment in sustainability - it’s a return to an unexpected, decades-old connection between wind energy and surfing.

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Landowners are being hit with taxes on property sales that accommodate critical energy infrastructure.

‘Fails the pub test’: Farmers taxed for supporting energy transition

Landowners are being hit with big tax bills for selling their holdings to make way for critical energy infrastructure.

The transition to a low-carbon future will see cross-industry collaboration and the pooling of resources, technology and expertise.

Navigating the ESG storm

The Australian Financial Review ESG Summit 2025, where Australia’s top leaders shape the future of responsible business in an era of rising scrutiny and accountability.

Matthew Jones has a replacement petrol Kia while he waits weeks for the repair of his EV5.

Finding someone to fix your EV is hard, and may be about to get harder

Australia is short at least 7000 electric vehicle technicians and industry leaders warn proposed occupational licensing could exacerbate the repair bottleneck.

SA Premier Peter Malinauskas and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at a press conference in Monday morning in Adelaide.

Labor picks city to host climate summit, making it an election issue

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the COP31 summit will provide an economic boost to Adelaide that would be denied under a Coalition government.

Federal Minister for Climate Change & Energy Chris Bowen (left) and Shadow Federal Minister for Climate Change & Energy Ted O’Brien (right) during a Federal Election ministers’ debate at the National Press Club.

Coalition to water down vehicle efficiency scheme

Peter Dutton says a Coalition government would not enforce penalties for a scheme designed to encourage the take-up of electric vehicles.

Queensland Treasurer and Minister for Energy David Janetzki during a keynote address to the Queensland Energy Club.

Qld scraps renewables goal, backs coal, vows to hit net zero anyway

Queensland has confirmed it will scrap legislated climate targets and burn coal plants for longer in a policy shift to focus on affordability and reliability over environmental sustainability.

Queensland’s renewed lack of ambition on emissions reduction could put Australia’s international climate targets at risk.

‘No hope’: Shock coal plant extensions to drag on 2030 climate targets

The Crisafulli government’s plans to wind back the state’s climate goals are likely to put Australia’s Paris targets further out of reach.

There is an urgent need for scalable recycling solutions to accommodate the growing volume of retired blades.

Wind turbine blades find new life in sustainable infrastructure

Without effective recycling solutions, wind turbines risk becoming landfill waste, undermining sustainability efforts.

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Queensland Premier David Crisafulli.

Queensland tears up transition targets and will keep coal for longer

Queensland’s five-month-old LNP government will unveil its broad energy platform today with a plan to extend the life of the state-owned coal-fired generators.

Flooding in south-west Queensland.

BoM said the sky was clear. Rain and floods told a different story

A huge meat-producing region of the outback, where livelihoods hinge on the weather, is stuck in an enormous Bureau of Meteorology blind spot.

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CSIRO modelling taking into account the Coalition’s criticism still showed nuclear energy was more expensive than renewables.

‘Doesn’t stack up’: Top investors go cold on nuclear

New data shows Australia’s top asset managers have little interest in investing in atomic energy generation.

The Coalition’s nuclear power policy is light on detail.

No election road out of Australia’s energy perdition

The election contest between Labor’s faltering subsided renewables policy and the Coalition’s nationalised nuclear pipedream does not inspire confidence.

Chinese $800m-plus solar deal collapses after FIRB delays

Lightsource bp is now seeking an alternative buyer for five Australian solar farms after ending a deal to sell to Beijing Energy International.

Matt Kean, photographed in Berowra Valley National Park.

Matt Kean has ‘material interests’ in carbon credit schemes

The Climate Change Authority chairman is a green investment adviser on the side. Experts say it’s above board despite “tremendous advantage” to Wollemi Capital.

March

Tasmanian salmon farming has become a headache for the government.

Why salmon farming laws could affect mining projects

New laws designed to insulate Tasmania’s salmon industry from environmental challenge could have unintended consequences for several projects.

Taz De Silva with his Kia EV6, in Canberra.

His EV shut down while he was driving. Getting it fixed was worse

A recall of thousands of Kia and Hyundai electric vehicles has one angry owner asking how long is too long for a repair with no refund or compensation.

Dutton delivers his budget reply speech in the House of Representatives.

Santos breaks ranks on Dutton’s gas plan

The gas producer looks set to emerge as a winner under the Coalition’s gas policy, despite it being widely blamed for the risk of shortages on the east coast.

How gas turned Dutton into an accidental progressive

Peter Dutton has long been loathed by progressives. But by declaring his intention to crack down on gas exporters, he has adopted one of their favourite policy ideas.

The Barossa gas project in the Timor Sea has had to overcome several legal challenges.

Santos Barossa delay feared as politics envelops gas

The deferral of a ruling on the North West Shelf venture has stoked fears that other gas projects will also fall victim to the fractious politics around the fossil fuel.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate