Capital
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Market Forces released a fossil fuel company “blocklist” for Australian banks, cutting through the climate-wash, after finding the big four have provided $43.4 billion to the world’s biggest coal, oil and gas companies, including more than $30 billion for expansion, in the decade since the 2015 Paris Agreement. A new trend has emerged, with ANZ and Westpac found to account for over 80% of all lending by the big four to the major fossil fuel companies in 2024 and 2025, according to the analysis.
MinRes (ASX: MIN) announced a partnership to shore up its lithium operations at the Wodgina and Mt Marion mines in Western Australia, with South Korean steel giant POSCO to pay $1.2 billion in cash. “This partnership will play an important role in diversifying the global lithium supply chain and strengthen bilateral ties between Australia and Korea in critical minerals,” MinRes Chair Malcolm Bundey said.
 Projects
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IEEFA’s Josh Runciman and Amandine Denis-Ryan estimated in a research note that Woodside Energy’s (ASX: WDS) Browse gas would cost about $7.80/GJ to produce — rising to more than $9/GJ delivered to Perth, which is over four times the cost of existing domestic gas and on par with levels the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) says would cause industrial users to cut operations.
The First Nations Clean Energy Network launched a resource to track almost 60 energy projects awarded a tender under the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), and implications for First Nations people and communities.
Ausgrid launched the Merriwa Microgrid in the Hunter region of NSW, to trial a way of ensuring local energy stays on during outages such as extreme weather events. During an unplanned outage, the microgrid disconnects from the main power grid, and provides electricity to keep the town’s services running. It’s configured to deliver backup power to 27 identified connections, including the pharmacy, servo, and places of shelter such as the RSL Club and Country Women’s Association rooms.
Iberdrola Australia was selected as Development Partner for the Victorian section of VNI West, a 240km, 500kV double-circuit transmission line proposed to Victoria and NSW that is a long-delayed but vital support for the flow of new forms of generation and storage as coal exits the grid. VicGrid will lead engagement with landholders, Traditional Owners, and communities, and remain the primary point of contact.
Queensland-owned CleanCo will supply Aurizon with power from the MacIntyre Wind Farm in the Western Downs, Kaban Wind Farm in Far North Queensland and Woolooga Solar Farm north of Brisbane for a lower-emission coking coal supply chain. Aurizon operates Australia’s largest electrified rail freight system, the Central Queensland Coal Network, and by securing renewable energy from CleanCo it can continue operating critical export infrastructure while lowering emissions, according to Energy Minister David Janetzki.
Policy
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Senior Liberals including Sussan Ley’s deputy Ted O’Brien and Liberal Senate leader Michaelia Cash argued against a net zero target, while moderate Liberals Andrew Bragg, Jane Hume and Julian Lesser made the case to retain the emissions reduction policy in some form, as did Andrew McLachlan – the party’s most pro-climate member, The Guardian reported. Only recently regaining his Melbourne seat of Goldstein, Tim Wilson warned against becoming “Nationals-lite”. The Nationals’ Matt Canavan will represent his party in policy negotiations with the Liberals on Sunday. (Sky)
Japan’s Ambassador to Australia Kazuhiro Suzuki urged the Albanese government to offer taxpayer-funded incentives for carbon capture and storage to support industries to decarbonise. “Japan is doing so, and Australia – blessed with depleted gas fields ideal for storage – has even greater potential to do so,” he told the National Press Club. (AFR)
Regulation
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Essential Energy received a regulatory waiver from the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) to open an academy to train up to 1,000 people a year amid a growing shortage of skilled workers needed for the energy transition. The Training Academy will launch with new courses in July 2026 at its Orange education hub, with the full curriculum expected to be on offer from July 2027 at a purpose-built training facility in Tamworth. It will offer nationally recognised qualifications and micro-credentials, including certificates in renewable energy, electrotechnology, and distribution networks.
Technology
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Australian solar innovator SunDrive’s copper-based process, which replaces silver in solar cells to cut costs and improve efficiency, received $25.3 million from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to speed up its transition from laboratory breakthrough to market-ready technology.
Climate
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Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy Josh Wilson continues to carry the flag in Brazil. “There is certainly a sense of resolution, there's a sense of energy and I think some optimism but also realism because the multilateral system has taken a few knocks in recent times and we need processes like this to be at their best in all of our interests, to see concerted global action on what is really the biggest challenge we face in the 21st century and more than likely in the 22nd century,” he told an SBS podcast.
People
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Kath Rowley was appointed CEO of the Climate Change Authority, replacing Brad Archer. “Brad has served the Authority well over the last seven years, including the restoration of the organisation in 2022 following the election of our government,” Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said in a LinkedIn post.
The Australian Energy Council’s board appointed Origin Energy (ASX: ORG) CEO Frank Calabria as Chair, and Erin van Maanen, Executive General Manager, Strategy at Hydro Tasmania, as Deputy Chair of the peak body for energy retailers and generators.
Origin’s Greg Jarvis, Executive General Manager, Energy Supply and Operations, will retire at the end of June 2026, with a recruitment process to take place in coming months.
The Australian Sustainable Finance Institute (ASFI) appointed Worimi man and respected cultural leader Professor Deen Sanders as Board Advisor and Cultural Governance and First Nations Leadership Advisor.
Research
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Across the world, 119 documented cyber attacks on energy companies occurred in the two years to 2024, according to Serbian researchers, including on Energy Australia. Attacks were largely financially motivated, although politically motivated ‘hacktivism’ and espionage are on the rise. The researchers say their work “highlights the fragility of the information systems and digital solutions used in the energy sector”. (Energy Policy)
Random
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New Zealand’s Transpower declared a grid emergency for parts of the south, removing some transmission lines from service due to the onset of an severe (G4) Geomagnetic Induced Current event. (1News)
