Australian clean energy leaders urge Albanese to speed up renewables push

Australian clean energy leaders urge Albanese to speed up renewables push Clean energy leaders are calling on the Australian Labor Party to accelerate the transition, invest in what works, and seize the opportunity to secure the ry’s position as a renewable energy and green industrial superpower. May 5, 2025 David Carroll Markets Markets & Policy Policy Australia Oceania Image: Anthony Albanese Share From pv magazine Australia Australia’s renewable energy sector has urged the re-elected government of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to step up the renewables energy transition after it secured a convincing majority in the federal election. Albanese will lead a majority Labor government in a second term after a thumping election win on the weekend. The result has been widely welcomed by the renewable energy sector, with Clean Energy Finance Director Tim Buckley saying the election result is a clear mandate for the government to continue delivering on its renewable energy targets, including 82% renewables share by 2030. “The electorate has given the Albanese government a crystal-clear mandate,” Buckley said. “Now is the time for conviction and courage to double down and move at the speed the climate science dictates. There are plenty of challenges but the risks and costs of too-slow action are clear. This is an inter-generational game-changer moment.” Buckley said the focus should be on upscaling the rollout of battery energy storage and optimizing the existing grid, suggesting the government needs to reassess the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) Rewiring the Nation and pumped hydro plans in light of cost blowouts and delivery delays. He also called for the government to implement the AUD 2.3 billion ($1.3 billion) consumer battery energy storage policy announced in April and make the most of electric vehicles (EVs) to support the continued uptake of intermittent generation. “We need to aim for 100 GW of rooftop solar by 2040, and rollout a charging infrastructure nationally at scale this decade to ensure we embrace the huge $60 billion annual saving of cutting our addiction to oil imports for transport, industry and heating,” he said. “We should be leveraging EVs’ vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capacities to export energy back to the grid and further build grid resilience as we electrify everything.” Mining billionaire and green energy advocate Andrew Forrest said the re-election of the Albanese government makes it clear that Australians will back and support policies that recognize the economic opportunities that come from renewable energy technologies. “We must now use that voice to back science, seize the green energy opportunity, and strengthen our role in the world,” he said. “The government’s commitments – including the Future Made in Australia plan, the Capacity Investment Scheme, the Hydrogen Production Tax Incentive and the Green Iron Fund – provide a strong foundation for a green energy future.” Clean Energy Council Chief utive Kane Thornton said the election result provides continuity for policy that is critical to underpin new investment in clean energy in Australia. “The Australian people have reconfirmed their strong support for wind and solar backed by batteries, pumped hydro and a small amount of gas,” he said. “It’s now time to leave the politics behind and get on with the job of rolling out renewable energy to deliver affordable and reliable power for all Australians.” This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com. Fujitsu launches residential cold climate heat pump with split design 02 May 2025 The Japanese manufacturer said its new heat pump system features a coefficient of up to 5.42 and a seasonal energy efficiency ratio of up to 33.2