The Western Australian Government doubled its renewable energy target to 75 per cent for the South West Interconnected System. The revised policy increases the previous goal of 40 per cent and requires delivery within five years by 2030-31. Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson announced the updated target to accelerate the regional energy transition. The new objective aligns with the scheduled decommissioning of all state-owned coal-fired generation assets by 2030. The state government pledged to reach the expanded renewable energy share on the main grid to support the planned retirement of the generation fleet.
AEMO declared a Low Reserve Condition for Victoria following the publication of updated medium-term adequacy results. The market operator identified that annual unserved energy exceeds the reliability standard between November 2027 and November 2028. AEMO also reported a non-credible contingency event in New South Wales after the Bannaby B 500 kV bus tripped at 13:36. The equipment returned to service at 14:19 without the market operator instructing any load shedding. AEMO confirmed it had not been advised of any disconnection of bulk electrical load during the incident.
The NEM recorded a mean price of $95.1/MWh, ranking fourth for the week and sitting 8.4 per cent above the seven-day average. South Australia experienced 16.7 hours of negative prices, reaching a minimum of -$101/MWh at 16:05 and averaging $66.9/MWh for the day. Victoria registered the highest regional price of $268/MWh at 05:55, while New South Wales reached a demand peak of 8,386 MW at 18:45. Renewables supplied 44.5 per cent of energy with an instantaneous peak of 71.9 per cent at 12:25, and batteries discharged 22,331 MWh. Total frequency control costs reached $601,359, with the RAISE6SEC service spiking to $23,190/MW across two intervals in Tasmania.
Historic legislation to establish a national gas reservation scheme is currently before federal parliament. Experts warned the biggest driver of high prices risks slipping free under the proposed legislative framework. The Victorian and Federal governments expanded the Solar for Apartments program to provide funding to help apartment residents install shared solar systems. The initiative aims to reduce individual household electricity expenses by an estimated $500 annually through increased access to renewable energy for multi-unit developments.
The Western Australian Environmental Protection Authority opened public consultations for a proposed large-scale gas-fired power station. This regulatory step coincides with state government targets to nearly double renewable energy generation capacity across the region. Internal documents from the environmental regulator warned that Woodside’s proposed Browse gas project risks significant, serious and irreversible consequences to the environment. A letter obtained by Boiling Cold revealed the internal assessment of the development.
AirTrunk secured a $4.25 billion green loan to expand the SYD3 data centre campus. The financing will further the corporate goal of achieving net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030. The inaugural Utility Awards recognized excellence across the Australian utilities sector during a gala dinner held in partnership with Autodesk. The event celebrated industry achievements and honored winners across multiple categories within the national utility landscape.
The Smart Energy Council advocated for a unified national strategy to address regulatory barriers hindering the commercial and industrial solar and storage sector. The industry body argued that current policy gaps are stalling deployment despite significant untapped capacity on large-scale rooftops. Global fuel market volatility has shifted the Australian renewable energy transition into a strategic security priority. Accelerating the shift toward decarbonized generation is viewed as essential for protecting domestic industry from international price shocks and maintaining national energy sovereignty.
The national energy transition will require a skilled and diverse workforce capable of delivering new infrastructure and responding to complex challenges. Brent Crude fell 5.5 per cent to US$109.44 a barrel. Natural Gas rose 17.1 per cent to US$3.05 per million British thermal units. TTF Gas declined 2.1 per cent to EUR94.68/MWh.
The AER granted CPU a ring-fencing waiver to provide hot water switching services and pole leasing for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. The waiver allows the company to deliver the services without functionally separating offices and branding. The regulator also published the 2027 gas tariff variation notice for APA’s Victorian Transmission System. The agency will undertake compliance checks of the tariff variation notice prior to publishing an approved version.