Australia’s foreign investment legislation does not yet clearly address our evolving offshore wind licensing landscape, with offshore wind feasibility licences not neatly sitting within an existing category of actions in the current FIRB regime. However, FIRB has taken a consistent approach in approving recent applications, providing clarity for future foreign participants. Read more

On 10 July 2023, the Queensland Government published the Draft 2023 Queensland Renewable Energy Zone Roadmap (Draft Roadmap) for community feedback. Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) development is a key component of the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan and meeting the State’s renewable energy targets. The Draft Roadmap details the Queensland REZ Framework to be established under new legislation and the pathway to connect 22 gigawatts of new wind and solar energy to the Queensland electricity grid. Read more

In its recent annual budget, the Federal Government announced the $2 billion Hydrogen Headstart Program to catalyse Australia’s green hydrogen industry and position Australia as a global leader in hydrogen production and export. On 7 July 2023, the Consultation Paper was released. In this article we explore key aspects of this initiative and its challenges. … Read more

The Minister for Energy and Climate Change announced today a process seeking public feedback on a proposed new declared area for offshore wind projects off the coast of Warrnambool, Victoria to Port MacDonnell, South Australia. Read more

On 3 June 2023, the Queensland Government took the first steps to legislate on Queensland’s renewables targets by releasing a draft of the Energy (Renewable Transformation and Jobs) Bill 2023 (Draft Bill). The Draft Bill aims to implement the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan, which sets out Queensland’s commitments, frameworks and governance to increase the … Read more

The NSW election on 25 March has resulted in a change of government. A Chris Minns-led Labor team will form a government with an interim Ministry sworn in on Tuesday, 28 March 2023. While we wait for the final counts to come in, we look at what the change of government might mean for energy, … Read more

The Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) announced yesterday that it is seeking public feedback on the possible effects of renewable energy projects off the NSW Hunter coast. This announcement follows last year’s declaration of part of Bass Strait off Victoria’s Gippsland coast as Australia’s first offshore renewable energy infrastructure … Read more

The Australian government is consulting with stakeholders on two policy papers drafted for a proposed Guarantee of Origin (GO) Scheme for hydrogen and renewable electricity certification. Consultation on the policy papers closes on 3 February 2023. Snapshot The Guarantee of Origin (GO) Scheme is proposed to measure, track and verify greenhouse gas emissions, initially for … Read more