Catch up
Capital
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Takeover target Santos (ASX: STO) had its ratings affirmed by Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings, with the investment grade credit profile attributed to “operational and product diversity, the high level of ownership and operator status across majority of its assets, and the added stability from its gas and LNG contracts with high quality counterparties, which largely benefit from fixed price CPI-linked contracts”.
Eyeing demand across Asia-Pacific markets and new regions, Woodside Energy (ASX: WDS) signed an MOU with Hyundai Engineering and global shipping leader Hyundai Glovis to work together on LNG project development, engineering services and shipping logistics.
 Projects
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Taipei-listed HD Renewable Energy (TPE:6873) acquired the Templers 111MW/330MWh BESS project in South Australia through ZEBRE, a joint venture established between HDRE and ZEN Energy earlier this year, The pairing now holds more than 1.4GW of generation and energy storage projects under construction and development in Australia.
“We continue to see increasing investor interest in energy storage projects in Australia, which is vital to stabilising our grid systems and ensuring that Australia is able to transition towards generating a higher percentage of its energy requirements from renewable sources.” - Baker McKenzie’s Australian Head of Energy and lead partner on the transaction Raymond Lou
Policy
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The NSW government allocated $2.8 million in EV Kerbside Charging Grants to five recipients who will contribute another $2.2 million in private investment to install the chargers across 22 local government areas. The recipients were Charge Post, Connected Kerb, EVX, Plus ES and EF Asset Management. The chargers, to be installed over the next 12 months, range from 7kW to 22kW and will include pole-mounted and pedestal EV chargers.
“Expanding our charging network gives drivers the confidence they need to go electric, knowing ample charging options are readily available, even if they don’t have a garage or off-street parking.” - Acting NSW Minister for Climate Change and Energy Paul Scully
Meanwhile the Queensland government launched a new Japan Trade and Investment Strategy to deepen ties with one of the state’s biggest customers. Next week’s trade mission led by the state’s Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bate follows WA Premier Roger Cook’s visit to Japan to reassure gas buyers.
The US Department of Energy used a report on grid reliability to warn of the potential for hundreds of hours of blackouts under a 2030 scenario where AI data centres continue their growth, old coal plants keep closing and new power supplies come online slowly. (E&E News) (Reuters)
Regulation
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The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) released the 2025 Enhanced Locational Information (ELI) report, which covers each region of the National Electricity Market (NEM), which is designed to support investment and policy. It also gauges current and future congestion and curtailment, with 20GW of projects at the application to connect stage as well as 300GW of proposed future projects under consideration by developers.
“Opportunities exist in all NEM regions for renewable and firming projects to deliver energy, capacity, and network support services. This report presents key locational data to help investors understand where their projects are most likely to succeed, and where challenges, such as network congestion, curtailment, or energy losses, may arise. Not all locations are equal, and geographic network conditions must be a critical part of investment decisions.” - AEMO Executive General Manager of System Design Merryn York
Technology
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The utilities industry is leading the charge on PayTo adoption, according to an inaugural index released by payments provider Zepto. With the legacy Bulk Electronic Clearing System (BECS) to be retired in 2030, payments will need to shift to the open-access, real-time payments infrastructure known as the New Payments Platform (NPP). The NPP already connects over 100 financial institutions, facilitating around $5 billion in payments daily. While 90% of the Australian retail sector still use last-century account-to-account methods, utility Red Energy is highlighted in the report as an adoption leader who benefits from lower transaction costs and faster and more secure payment options for customers.
Australia’s green hydrogen targets could require vastly more water than the government hopes. (The Conversation)
Climate
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The chair of Singapore’s Monetary Authority said action to tackle climate change was facing the most uncertain global backdrop since the Paris Agreement, due to heightened trade and economic uncertainty and “other institutional supporters of climate action reassessing their commitments”. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has said climate inaction could lead to a 17% drop in Asia Pacific’s GDP by 2070 if high emissions persist, and this could rise to 41% of GDP by the end of the century.
Meanwhile, a new report from the UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility found reaching net zero would be much cheaper for the UK government than previously expected - and the economic damages of unmitigated climate change far more severe. (Carbon Brief)
People
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appointed Queensland career public servant Mike Kaiser as Secretary of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water for a five-year term, commencing July 14. Kaiser replaces David Fredericks, who said in May that he would retire.
Research
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The Next-gen renewables: Risk resilience and insurance readiness review delivered an annual analysis of the risks and opportunities shaping the sector. Australia continued at the top of the leaderboard for renewable energy investment but the insurance market for these assets is under pressure because of rising claims, extreme weather events and ever evolving technology risks.
“While capacity is available for well-managed and technically-sound assets, insurers are increasingly becoming selective on their coverage, particularly for older solar farms, wind assets in bushfire or cyclone-prone areas and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) facilities with limited thermal controls or inadequate spacing.” - John Rae, Renewable Energy Leader, Willis Natural Resources
China’s solar and wind energy capacity continues to reach new heights, according to the latest Global Energy Monitor report. It found China accounts for 29% of all planned wind and solar projects globally and three quarters of projects under construction. China’s offshore wind fleet alone contributes over 50% of the overall offshore wind capacity in construction worldwide.
Random
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Australian mining giants BHP (ASX: BHP)and Rio Tinto (ASX: RIO) will be among those affected by new tariffs flagged by US President Donald Trump, who ramped up his protectionist trade war and warned of more sectoral levies to come. “Today we're doing copper,” Trump said. “We're going to make it 50%.” (AFR) (CNN) (The West)
“The Minerals Council of Australia opposes the potential imposition of US tariffs on mineral exports, including the proposed 50% tariff on copper. These measures disrupt global trade, undermine investment confidence, and increase costs for consumers including in the United States … While Australia’s direct copper exports to the United States are limited, trade restrictions imposed on other key trading partners have the potential of disrupting global supply chains, increasing costs, and creating uncertainty for Australian exporters.” - Minerals Council CEO Tania Constable