Capital
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The African Climate Summit’s “Addis Ababa Declaration on Climate Change and Call for Action” highlighted Africa's potential to lead in renewable energy and green development — with equitable financing. (Down to Earth) (Modern Diplomacy)
 Projects
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Developers say the $8 billion Navigator North offshore wind farm, backed by Origin Energy (ASX: ORG) and UK-headquartered RES, won’t be ready for the first round of auctions. A reluctance to bid for government funding to build 110 turbines off the coast of Gippsland is the latest in a string of delayed or cancelled offshore wind projects. (ABC) (AAP)
“I think the whole process is taking a lot longer and turning out to be more expensive than maybe it had been anticipated.”
Tony Wood
Grattan Institute Senior Fellow
WA’s Environmental Protection Authority’s (EPA) assessment report backed AGL Energy’s (ASX: AGL) bid to triple its gas-fired Kwinana Swift Power Station output, recommending it be approved subject to caveats on emissions. (Business News) (The West)
Policy
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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced $12 billion for shipbuilding and submarine base upgrades in the Henderson Defence Precinct in Perth, upping the ante on future WA energy demand.
California passed a package of bills on Saturday to authorise independent governance of energy markets, reauthorise the state’s cap-and-trade carbon program, and connect the electricity grid more closely to its neighboring states as a “West-wide grid”. (AP) (Politico)
“Expanding long range, high voltage transmission is essential to bringing additional clean energy projects online and retiring costly, outdated fossil fuel plants. To date, California has struggled to complete these critical projects on time. Public financing of transmission will support acceleration of these projects at a lower cost, leading to increased savings and improved electricity reliability for California ratepayers. Looking ahead, creating even more public financing mechanisms for electricity grid infrastructure could further add to these benefits.”
Daniel Barad
Western States Acting Co-Director for the Union of Concerned Scientists
Western Australia Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson told a conference the plan for Western Power's transmission network across the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) would be released “imminently”, with the Whole of System Plan (WoSP) also be updated, Boiling Cold reported.
“It will give indicative time frames of the three phases of the grid buildout over 10 years and will give proponents a good idea of where the grid is going to be and where the best place to put your project may be.”
Amber-Jade Sanderson
WA Energy Minister
Regulation
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The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) released a draft decision on APA Group’s (ASX: APA) revenue proposal for the Basslink interconnector, forecasting revenue for the 2026-30 regulatory control period at $428.8 million or 3.2% less than proposed by Basslink. Basslink’s proposal also allocated 75% of regulated revenue to Victoria and 25% to Tasmania, but AER does not have a decision-making role in approving or rejecting that aspect. The regulator expects to receive a revised proposal from APA in mid-November and will make a final decision in February 2026 to enable Basslink to become a regulated service by July 1, 2026.
“We know Basslink plays a critical role supporting energy consumers in both Victoria and Tasmania. APA will review this determination and continue to engage positively with the AER to ensure the final determination supports the ongoing reliable operation of this asset."
Adam Watson
APA Group CEO
A partial declaration was made under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Heritage Protection Act (ATSIHP Act) to protect the Murujuga heritage site in WA’s Pilbara region, which will be released, along with an explanatory memorandum, on the Federal Register of Legislation. The Act allows the federal Environment Minister to make a declaration protecting a significant Aboriginal heritage area and or objects under threat of injury or desecration.
Technology
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Tesla Chair Robyn Denholm insists no one other than Elon Musk is capable of leading the company’s transition into artificial intelligence and robotics, but it’s possible he won’t be sitting in the CEO’s seat. (AFR/Bloomberg)
Meanwhile the US Energy Secretary Chris Wright says nuclear fusion will soon power the world, making claims in a BBC interview that even surprised the most ardent enthusiasts.
Climate
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Wind and solar power generated more than a third of COP30 host Brazil’s electricity in August, the first month on record the two renewable sources have crossed that threshold, according to government data analysed by energy think tank Ember. (The Independent)
People
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Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) Chair Steven Skala was re-appointed to the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) for a one‑year period.
Clayton Utz appointed Allen’s M&A expert Mark Malinas as Head of Private Equity.
Research
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A net-zero inventory project, led by University of Western Australia chemical engineering student Phoebe Tran and designed to inform strategic investment in technologies in mining and other heavy industries, has been backed by the Minerals Research Institute of Western Australia (MRIWA). The survey, co-sponsored by WA’s Department of Energy and Economic Diversification (DEED), is running until September 30.
Random
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Despite a slow-down in the US, global renewable energy investments set another record in the first half of 2025, rising 10% from the same period of last year to reach $386 billion. (Bloomberg)
