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Hey Reader, in today's edition:
- Living the duck curve and laying a golden egg
- Grasping the next solar opportunity: urban mining
- Moderates keep the net-zero hope alive
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Living the duck curve
On October 19, 2024, South Australia’s demand was negative 205 megawatts, creating a downward-dipping 'duck curve' in demand charts.
“That is the future in other states in Australia and other countries around the world,” Paul Martyn, Chief Executive of South Australia’s Department of Energy and Mining, said. “Just think about that for a moment: 200MW more production than we consume.”
“We are living the duck curve,” Martyn told the Smart Energy South Australia conference in Adelaide.
And the state is pioneering how to flatten that demand curve with neighbourhood-scale assets and a slew of battery energy storage projects.
Powering households and the economy, the uptake of batteries and plenty of wind as well as mixed solar and battery projects has seen the state lead the country in renewables. But to get to net 100%, the state needs a vast pipeline of big projects to come online.
Martyn said significant new projects underway include the just commenced 238MW Blyth Battery, the 150MW Bungama Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), the 111MW Templers BESS, and the Clements Gap BESS.
And an additional 17.7GW of wind, solar and battery projects have been announced, including 10GW of battery projects, 5GW of large-scale solar and 2.7GW of wind projects.
“Here in South Australia it is a competitive advantage …. We can attract investment here, we can attract new jobs here, because we have that renewable energy penetration,” Martyn said.
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Upending the lost opportunity
The foundational technology for the modern solar panel was invented in Australia but we lost the manufacturing opportunity, and the economic benefits that came with it, to China.
“Today, we have a second chance. A new opportunity to lead, born from the very success of the first revolution,” stewardship expert Kobie Keenan told industry leaders at Smart Energy SA.
This year alone, around four million end-of-life panels will come off Australian rooftops, and that number is set to double in just the next couple of years. In South Australia that translates to around 800,000 panels annually — enough to fill 550 semi-trailers.
Until recently, most were simply shipped offshore. But late last year, that export market collapsed.
“This isn't a future problem; it's a crisis knocking on our door right now … Without a clear recovery pathway, these panels are being stockpiled and landfilled, creating a growing logistical and environmental headache,” Keenan said, urging a circular mindset.
That would mean Australia could “urban mine” solar off household and commercial rooftops to reuse valuable materials — again and again.
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Expert view
“To understand the scale of this second chance, we first need to appreciate that Australians have a love affair with solar. We have over 4 million households with rooftop solar — that's around 70 million panels. If you include commercial and industrial installations, that number swells to between 150 and 200 million panels across the country.
This local issue is a preview of a global crisis. The International Energy Agency's latest figures are a stark warning. For copper — a metal that is the lifeblood of our clean energy future — the IEA projects a 10% shortfall between supply and demand by 2030. By 2035, that gap widens to a staggering 30%. To be clear: without enough copper and other key minerals, the renewable energy transition itself is at risk. Traditional mining alone cannot bridge this gap.
Let’s build the infrastructure, champion the innovators, and turn our cities into the critical mineral mines of the future.”
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Kobie Keenan
Smart Energy Council Stewardship Engagement Manager
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Rump Coalition splitting over net zero
Claiming to be channelling the “fury” of regional Australia, the Nationals’ Barnaby Joyce and Michael McCormack are pushing for net zero to be repealed, which Leader David Littleproud says he’s “relaxed” about. The former party leaders were both axed from the opposition frontbench in the post-election reshuffle. (Sky News) (9News) (News)
“Net zero must be repealed and as such, I will, at my first opportunity, bring forward a bill to do that. The idea that, at this stage, we have put the focus of our nation on a lunatic crusade of net zero is treacherous to the very security of Australia.”
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce
But the Coalition’s moderates are reaching across the aisle to keep net zero alive, quietly helping to restart a parliamentary friends of clean energy investment group that will have its first meeting next week, likely to be again chaired by the ACT’s David Pocock.
Meanwhile in a special address at the United Nations’ headquarters in New York, Secretary‑General António Guterres said the “energy transition is unstoppable”, citing surging clean energy investment and plunging solar and wind costs that now outcompete fossil fuels, although the transition is “not yet fast enough or fair enough”.
Guterres urged countries, including Australia, to lock ambition into the next round of national climate plans, or NDCs, due within months. He called on the G20 countries, which are responsible for 80% of emissions, to submit new plans aligned with the 1.5°C limit and present them at a high‑level event in September. (United Nations)
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Catch Up
Capital
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Woodside Energy (ASX: WDS) said in a market update, it was “continuing constructive consultation with the government” on proposed environmental approval of the North West Shelf Extension. Second-quarter production beat market expectations but there was an extra US$400-500 million pre-tax expense on safely decommissioning aging offshore facilities such as Minerva, Stybarrow and Griffin, and a US$140 million pre-tax write-down for a failed hydrogen venture.
“Woodside made the decision to exit the proposed H2OK Project in Oklahoma due to ongoing challenges facing the lower-carbon hydrogen industry, including cost escalation and lower than anticipated hydrogen demand.”
Woodside Energy Q2 Report
Vulcan Energy (ASX: VUL) announced €104 million (A$186 million) in German grants for the lithium part of an integrated lithium and renewable energy project in the Upper Rhine Valley.
“Lithium is the lifeblood of the energy transition and for EV production and is crucial to transitioning Germany and Europe’s auto industry into the electric age … The Li4BAT grant will enable our Project to supply sustainable, domestically sourced lithium to the German and European battery EV markets.
Vulcan Energy CEO Cris Moreno
Glencore says its Mt Isa smelter and Townsville refinery will close, after a rescue package from the Queensland government fell woefully short. The smelter and refinery directly employ 550 people, with about another 500 jobs on the line at Dyno Nobel’s Phosphate Hill operations which rely on a smelter byproduct. A senior executive at Glencore, Suresh Vadnagra said the mining and minerals processing giant was open to taxpayers taking an equity stake in the facilities to keep them afloat. (The Australian)
 Projects
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Edify Energy’s 185MW/370MWh Koorangie Energy Storage System (KESS) in the Gannawarra region of northwest Victoria is now fully operational, importing and exporting electricity at its full nameplate capacity to the National Electricity Market. Through a System Support Agreement with the Australian Energy Market Operator, KESS provides essential grid stability services and enables up to 300MW of new renewable generation in the Murray River Renewable Energy Zone, while a long-term offtake agreement with Shell Energy is supporting Australia’s decarbonisation. Northwest Victoria has faced grid constraints that limit renewable energy exports, but Edify said KESS addressed this using Megapacks with Tesla grid-forming inverters, which maintain grid voltage and frequency — services traditionally provided by conventional generators.
“It’s a powerful example of how advanced grid forming inverter and battery storage technologies can combine to solve some of the most complex challenges in Australia’s energy transition. KESS is our third project in Kerang and our 12th major energy infrastructure development to reach commercial operation.”
Edify Energy Executive Chairman John Cole
Policy
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Trade and Investment Queensland’s Tariff Response Unit (TIQ) has engaged more than 200 businesses through roundtables in key regions, with final sessions scheduled in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Longreach, to ease pressure on exporters in the wake of US tariffs. TIQ’s international and regional teams can provide tailored support.
“Feedback has shown there is an absolute need for these sessions to share insights and advice. Our expert team has been working with exporters and delivering a range of online tools, including a tariff calculator, to help exporters make the best decision for their business.”
TIQ CEO Justin McGowan
Economist and former Labor trade minister Craig Emerson weighed in on the “hypocrisy” of criticism of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s China visit, when it was the Coalition’s megaphone diplomacy that led to the imposition of an earlier bout of tariffs. (New Daily)
Regulation
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The Connections Scorecard issued by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) showed a surge in new generation and storage capacity reaching full output in the National Electricity Market (NEM), with 29 projects totalling 4.4GW in the year to June 30, still shy of what’s needed to meet 2030 targets. Navin Subash, AEMO’s Acting Group Manager Onboarding Connections, shared further insights during a webinar, saying it was “very positive” there was momentum, as seen in the past few years, with more projects converting from the initial application phase through to registration and commissioning. They are also observing “quite a strong pipeline” of projects leveraging batteries as a technology.
“For FY25 we had 9GW of projects registered across the NEM: 3.5GW was related to batteries, followed by wind at about 2.5GW and solar at 2.2GW. There was also record capacity of commissioning to full output in FY25 at 4.4GW compared to 2.2GW the year before … So for reflection, at the moment in its current state and form, there’s about 53GW of projects across the connections process — about 44% of this make up batteries, with a lot of them being grid-forming capability as well.”
Navin Subash, A/Group Manager Onboarding Connections, AEMO
Technology
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Electric vehicle (EV) uptake is being driven by younger Australians, particularly Gen Z who are 10 times more likely to own an EV than Baby Boomers, according to green.com.au. A nationally representative survey found Gen Z had a 19% EV ownership rate, followed by Millennials (16%), Gen X (6%), and Baby Boomers (2%). The national EV ownership rate now sits at 9%. The research also challenges common stereotypes around EV ownership, with men now leading the electric charge at 11% compared to 7% for women.
Climate
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The International Court of Justice has ruled that countries besieged by the "urgent and existential" effects of climate change can legally pursue their neighbours for reparations if they fail to uphold their NDC obligations. The ruling could pave the way for massive compensation claims, including a case brought by a group of law students from Vanuatu. (The Age) (NYT)
Australia faces a surge in extreme fire days and temperatures above 50°C in its capital cities without a strong 2035 emissions reduction target, the Climate Council warned. Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce’s push to repeal net zero is “disgraceful, delusional, and totally out of step” with parliament and the country, the council of experts said. (AAP)
“Barnaby Joyce isn’t standing up for the bush, he’s selling it out. His smug front-page photo in The Australian made me sick. If he had his way, we’d burn fossil fuels forever and blow past every climate threshold, to hell with our kids’ future. The Coalition has now lost two elections because voters want serious climate and energy policies. There’s no future with younger Australians if the party follows Barnaby Joyce off this cliff.”
Climate Council CEO Amanda McKenzie
People
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Milton Dick was re-appointed speaker of the House of Representatives, while Sue Lines was re-elected as President of the Senate.
Research
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By relying on an outdated NSW Treasury framework, the proponents of the Hunter Valley Operations (51% Yancoal, 49% Glencore) coal mine — the largest proposed coal mine expansion in the state — vastly inflated the project’s net value to NSW and underestimated its costs, according to research by the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility (ACCR).
“This loophole is handing coal companies a license to mislead. The Hunter Valley Operations analysis omits billions in emissions costs by using an outdated framework that doesn’t reflect NSW’s current climate commitments.”
Naomi Hogan, Company Strategy Lead, ACCR
Random
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Canberra-based artist Benjamin Shine’s public wind sculpture, a collaboration with Vert Design and Tilt Industrial Design, was nominated for an international award. (HerCanberra)
“Ensuring the spinners would spin in moderate wind, and remain functional over time was the biggest challenge … Besides the spinner component, the balance between weight, strength and durability of the coloured discs was critical. They needed to be light enough to catch the wind but strong and durable enough to withstand the elements (including large hailstones).”
CODAward nominee Benjamin Shine
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What's On
July 29-30
Australian Clean Energy Summit (ACES) 2025
AEMO CEO Daniel Westerman, AEMC Chair Anna Collyer, Climate Change Authority Chair Matt Kean, AGL CEO Damien Nicks, Iberdrola Australia CEO Ross Rolfe and Squadron Energy CEO Rob Wheals are among the lineup at the Clean Energy Council’s flagship event in Sydney.
July 30
Australian Sustainable Finance Summit
Treasury Deputy Secretary Angelia Grant, Original Power Executive Director Karrina Nolan, and Australian Office of Financial Management CEO Anna Hughes are among the line-up at this Sydney event.
August 7-8
2025 ACCC/AER Regulatory Conference
Former chair of UK energy regulator Ofgem Professor Martin Cave, AEMC Commissioner Sally McMahon, Treasury Assistant Secretary - Competition Taskforce Anna Barker, Essential Services Commission Chair Gerard Brody, and Marinus Link Chair Sandra Gamble are among the speakers at this event in Brisbane.
August 13-14
2025 Australasian Emissions Reduction Summit
Victoria’s Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio, Climate Change Authority Chair Matt Kean, Carbon Market Institute Chair Dr Kerry Schott, Co-Founder and CEO of CORE Markets Chris Halliwell, Investor Group on Climate Change CEO Rebecca Mikula-Wright and BHP Australia President Geraldine Slattery will speak at this event in Melbourne.
August 14-15
First Nations Clean Energy Symposium
Government, industry, academics and regulators will join over 200 First Nations leaders from around Australia at this event on Kabi Kabi country (Sunshine Coast).
August 18
National Press Club
Productivity Commission Chair Danielle Wood will speak on the “Growth imperative: How to fix our productivity problem” at this event in Canberra.
August 26-27
Australian Renewable Heat Conference
Climate Change Authority Chair Matt Kean, ARENA investment manager Peter Haenke, and AGL sustainability expert Brendan Weinert will speak at this event in Sydney.
August 26-28
2025 New Zealand Wind Energy Summit
NZ Minister of Energy Simon Watts, Secretary-General of the World Wind Energy Association Stefan Gsänger, Global Wind Energy Council CEO Ben Backwell, Commerce Commission Chair Dr John Small, and Transpower Executive General Manager - Future Grid John Clarke headline this event in Wellington, NZ.
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