ENERGY POLICY – AUSTRALIA

China weighs in on Labor’s gas intervention

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Original article by Tom Rabe
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 2 : 7-Oct-26

China’s embassy in Australia has expressed concern about the federal government’s proposed domestic gas reservation scheme. The embassy has used its submission to the scheme’s exposure draft to caution Labor against too much intervention in the gas market. China is a major importer of LNG from Australia, while the nation also holds stakes in several major gas projects in Queensland and Western Australia. Other Asian buyers of Australia’s LNG have previously raised concerns about the proposed scheme.

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Chainsaw to ALP energy revolution

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Original article by Rosie Lewis
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 23-Sep-26

The Coalition has advised that its Scrap Net Zero (Cheaper Energy) bill will be introduced to parliament within 30 days if it wins the next federal election. Amongst other things, the proposed bill would abolish Labor initiatives such as the legislated net-zero emissions target, the Capacity Investment Scheme, the safeguard mechanism and new vehicle efficiency standards. The existing CIS would be replaced by one that embraces all dispatchable energy technology, including nuclear power; the Coalition would also seek to scrap the national ban on nuclear power generation. Shadow energy minister Dan Tehan says the Coalition’s energy policy will be about "energy abundance", rather than Labor’s current approach of "energy restriction".

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LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, NATIONAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Green goal shattered as Bowen faces COP heat

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Original article by Perry Williams, Richard Ferguson
The Australian – Page: 1 & 5 : 16-Sep-26

Modelling suggests that renewables will account for just 53 per cent of Australia’s electricity generation by 2030, well below the federal government’s target of 82 per cent. This projection is based on the number of renewable energy projects that were being built at the end of June; the modelling shows that although sufficient renewable energy and battery-storage projects have been proposed to reach the 2030 target, not enough of them will be completed by this date. Meanwhile, Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen’s Turkish counterpart and COP31 president Murat Kurum says his nation will make final decisions regarding the climate summit. Kurum says Bowen is only the president of negotiations.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER

Free-power plan to raise prices

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Original article by Paul Garvey
The Australian – Page: 4 : 5-Nov-25

MST Marquee analyst Saul Kavonic has described the federal government’s Solar Sharer scheme as "another poorly thought through market intervention" by the Climate Change and Energy Minister, Chris Bowen. Kavonic warns that the proposed three-hour block of ‘free’ electricity during the day will inevitably be offset by higher electricity prices at other times. David Dixon from Rystad Energy in turn says households may become more reluctant to invest in rooftop solar if they can use electricity for free.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY, THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER, MST MARQUEE, RYSTAD ENERGY AS

Gas exporters on notice to lock in more supplies for Australians

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Original article by Nick Toscano
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: Online : 28-May-25

Federal Resources Minister Madeleine King addressed the Australian Energy Producers conference in Brisbane on Tuesday. Amid growing fears of a looming gas shortage on the east coast, King said that Australians are tired of seeing the nation’s vast gas resources exported while paying high prices themselves. King added that while some Australian LNG producers are "doing the right thing" by ensuring that there is sufficient domestic supply, a lot of work still needs to be done on this issue. She added that the federal government plans to undertake a review of laws and regulations governing the LNG sector, to ensure that they are working as intended.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF INDUSTRY, SCIENCE AND RESOURCES, AUSTRALIAN ENERGY PRODUCERS

Chalmers concedes energy rebates must end

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Original article by Rhiannon Down
The Australian – Page: 7 : 21-May-25

Treasurer Jim Chalmers has refused to rule out extending the federal government’s energy rebate for a third time. However, he acknowledges that the government is aware that the $6.8bn rebate must end at some stage, which is why it has been extended for just six months rather than a year. Independent economist Chris Richardson says the rebate is "bad policy" and the money should have been used to reduce the structural deficit and increase unemployment benefits. Professor Bob Breunig from the Australian National University agrees that the rebate should not be extended beyond 2025, arguing that such subsidies tend to be inflationary.

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AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY

Peter Dutton’s nuclear power plan could lead to major electricity shortages, analysis says

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Original article by Graham Readfearn
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 16-Apr-25

Modelling by Frontier Economics concluded that Australia’s remaining coal-fired power stations would need to keep operating until the Coalition’s proposed nuclear plants are built. However, the Institute for Energy Economics & Financial Analysis contends that Frontier Economics has not taken into account the growing unreliability of coal-fired power stations as they get older. The IEEFA argues that the modelling is based on the assumption that the coal-fired plants would be able to keep operating at 72-81 per cent of their generation capacity. The IEEFA notes that the 13 coal-fired plants that have closed down since 2000 operated at just 66 per cent of their capacity in the last 10 years of their operating life.

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FRONTIER ECONOMICS PTY LTD, INSTITUTE FOR ENERGY ECONOMICS AND FINANCIAL ANALYSIS

Nuclear power ‘not cool’, declares Forrest, as iron ore threat looms

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Original article by Brad Thompson
The Australian – Page: 15 : 11-Apr-25

Mining magnate and philanthropist Andrew Forrest has told a business breakfast in Perth that nuclear power is not the best energy option for Australia. Amongst other things, he questioned why taxpayers should fund nuclear power stations via the Coalition’s plans if the private sector is not willing to take on the "massive risk". The founder of Fortescue also warned that Australia’s iron ore industry is facing challenges such as the low grade and high impurities of Pilbara iron ore, as well as imminent competition from the higher-grade ore that will soon be produced in Africa.

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FORTESCUE LIMITED – ASX FMG

Gas producers question whether Coalition’s energy plan will cut consumer prices

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Original article by Kate Lyons, Adam Morton
The Guardian Australia – Page: Online : 2-Apr-25

Shell Australia chair Cecile Wake is amongst the energy industry executives who attended the Australian Domestic Gas Outlook conference on Tuesday. She noted the lack of detail in the proposed ‘east coast gas reservation policy’ which Opposition leader Peter Dutton announced in his recent budget reply speech. Dutton’s policy would require gas exporters to redirect an additiona1 10-20 per cent of their output to the domestic market. Wake says the policy could see gas supply in the domestic market exceed demand, which could in turn result in gas prices falling to a level where future investment decisions are not economic. She adds that an oversupply may not necessarily result in lower gas prices for households and businesses.

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SHELL COMPANY OF AUSTRALIA LIMITED, LIBERAL PARTY OF AUSTRALIA

Energy secretary backs nuclear, attacks net zero

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Original article by Colin Packham
The Australian – Page: 4 : 19-Feb-25

The Coalition’s plan to build seven nuclear power stations if it wins the upcoming federal election has received tacit support from the US Energy Secretary, Chris Wright. He has told the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference in London that he would love to see Australia embrace uranium, but he says the federal government will need to shrug off its ideological opposition to the energy source. Wright adds that the net zero emissions target of 2050 is a "sinister goal" that has had tremendous costs and no benefits.

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UNITED STATES. DEPT OF ENERGY