Clean Energy Council’s Post

The 2024-25 Victorian Budget has seen some encouraging commitments from the Allan Government towards accelerating the state's move to a clean energy future.   These include:   - $28 million invested over the next four years to establish specialised training centres for Victoria's renewable energy workforce in wind and hydrogen, as well as a Training Centre of Excellence under a newly-established State Electricity Commission.   - A $36 million top-up of the Solar Homes Program to lower energy bills for households through electrification upgrades, including solar hot water systems and zero-interest loans for home battery storage systems.   - $35 million in continued funding for offshore wind planning, as well as design work for a renewable energy terminal at the Port of Hastings   "Investing in the clean energy workforce and incentivising more households to switch to electrification are essential for Victoria to successfully meet its climate and renewable energy goals," our Chief Executive, Kane Thornton said.   "Across every aspect of this critical transformation of our economy, the Clean Energy Council will continue to work with governments in identifying how investment in our clean energy future can be strengthened and sustained." #cleanenergy #springst

Yesterday's Western Australian Budget saw $1.8 billion in funding commitments aimed at accelerating the state's clean energy transition. "It is fantastic to see WA, an engine room of our economy, substantially investing in a clean energy future, building up key industries and opportunities including our emerging critical minerals sector, as well as upgrading the state's grid to host more renewables projects," said our Chief Executive, Kane Thornton. Some of the measures announced in yesterday's WA State Budget include:   - Establishment of a $500 million Strategic Industries Fund to unlock WA’s strategic industrial areas and support new clean energy and decarbonisation projects. - $200 million committed to building a new Critical Minerals Advanced Processing Common User Facility, subject to joint funding from the Commonwealth Government. - $324 million in funding to undertake extensive planning and procure long-lead transmission infrastructure for the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), to connect more renewable energy projects. - $148 million to construct common user electricity network infrastructure in the North West Interconnected System (NWIS) in the Pilbara. -$762 million in added funding for energy credit relief package for over 1 million households. #cleanenergy

CanREA in the News: ICYMI - The Environment Journal features comments from CanREA's Director of Ontario Policy, Eric Muller, about the largest energy procurement in #Ontario. “This procurement also presents tremendous opportunities for Indigenous communities, farmers, landowners and rural municipalities to participate in, and benefit from, significant new investments in wind, solar and energy storage,” said Muller. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ePdqgdES #RenewableEnergy #EnergyProcurement

The QLD state election last week saw the David Crisafulli-led LNP form a majority government. The sunshine state is now at serious risk of being locked into high-emission fossil fuels to power the state, derailing the crowding-in of tens of billions of renewable energy and green industry capital unlocked by the critical new transmission and grid firming investments made under the previous government. A brief summary of the implications of the QLD election from Climate Energy Finance is below. CEF also published a brief summary of the landmark state renewable package introduced in the last budget: https://lnkd.in/gpaaDXJN And CEF's report of Queensland's energy transformation from February 2024: https://lnkd.in/eh6_iDfm Tim Buckley Smart Energy Council Wayne Smith Tim Lamacraft Queensland Renewable Energy Council (QREC) Katie-Anne Mulder Mick de Brenni Cameron Dick Steven Miles David Crisafulli MP

🌟 Big Win for Clean Energy 🌟 The US Department of Energy has just announced a massive $1.5bn funding boost for four key interregional power lines through its Transmission Facilitation Programme (TFP). This investment is a crucial step towards modernising the US grid and meeting the ambitious goal of a 100% clean power system by 2035. 🔋 The significance of this move cannot be overstated. With renewable energy installations accelerating thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, an updated and robust power grid is essential. Wood Mackenzie estimates the grid needs $80bn-$100bn in upgrades, and this funding by the DoE is a pivotal start. The TFP's model of buying and reselling capacity on these lines is designed to keep the cycle of investment and development ongoing. As David Turk, deputy secretary of energy, noted, this will help in recovering the funding for future projects. 💡 Projects like these are not just about environmental benefits—they create jobs and boost local economies. Among the approved projects: - **Aroostook Renewable Project**, bringing 1.2GW of renewable energy to New England. - **Cimarron Link**, delivering 1.9GW of wind and solar power in Oklahoma. - **Southern Spirit**, providing 3GW of capacity across Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. - **Southline Phase 2**, delivering 1GW of power in New Mexico. Each project promises thousands of construction jobs, permanent positions, and long-term regional economic growth. This is a win-win for the environment and the economy! ✅ What do you think about this significant step towards a green future? Share your thoughts in the comments or visit https://lnkd.in/etMxsDyu to learn more. #CleanEnergy #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability

Our Chief Executive Claire Mack gave evidence today at the Scottish Parliament's Finance and Public Administration Committee as part of their scrutiny of the draft Scottish Budget 2025/26. Scottish Renewables has welcomed the investments for renewable energy in the draft budget, including for Scotland's offshore wind supply chain. We continue to encourage resource to be strategically focused on delivering Scotland's renewable energy pipeline to capture its economic growth opportunity. This requires clear interventions in priority areas of skills, planning and enabling infrastructure to secure high-value jobs and strengthen Scotland's attractiveness for vital private investment. You can watch the full evidence session here: https://lnkd.in/eSJNrxjt.

In September, Conrad Energy participated in the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government's consultation on the proposed revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). These revisions are set to shape the future of planning policies, impacting key areas like energy developments and infrastructure projects.   Key reforms: . Revisions to the NPPF . Planning fees and local plan intervention criteria . Threshold changes for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs)   Our response focused on the changes most relevant to energy projects, including: . Increased NSIP thresholds for wind (from 50MW to 100MW) and solar (up to 150MW) . Clarified support for renewable developments . Simplified guidance around the use of agricultural land for solar projects   We welcomed these changes and encouraged the Government to go further in supporting renewable energy. However, we also flagged concerns around Local Authority resource levels, especially if the new rules lead to increased planning applications through the TCPA process.   The final revisions to the NPPF are expected by the end of the year. We remain committed to supporting a planning framework that accelerates renewable energy development while ensuring the necessary resources are in place.   Want to know more? Reach out to our Head of Planning, Victoria Saunders (Hazell), for more information.   #renewableenergy #NPPF #planningpolicy #energydevelopment  

Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) are gathering momentum in Australia's eastern states. NSW has been the first to move with its 20 year Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap and the first of 5 REZs awarded to ACE Energy to be the network operator for the Central West Orana REZ. Victoria and now Queensland have followed suit with their own plan and program of REZs. Queensland government has recently appointed Powerlink Queensland as the REZ Delivery Body. In this role Powerlink will provide input to the REZ Roadmap, coordinate how renewable projects connect to the new transmission network in REZs and also engage with landholders, communities and other stakeholders. #renewableenergyzones #REZ #transmission #notransitionwithouttransmission https://buff.ly/3XhKwKx

Announcements on the UKs Energy Investments Rt Hon Rachel Reeves on restoring economic growth as Labour national mission. On Monday, the 8th she announced a significant push towards renewable energy and infrastructure development, with streamlined processes and governmental support to encourage investment and growth in the energy sector.  Her key initiatives to promote investment in the energy sector: 1. Onshore Wind Projects: Ending the ban on new onshore wind projects in England opens opportunities for renewable energy development. Including onshore wind projects in the nationally significant infrastructure projects regime means large developments can be fast-tracked and decided at the national level. 2. Prioritization of Energy Projects: Energy projects will be given priority in the planning system to ensure they progress swiftly, reducing delays and bureaucratic hurdles. Expanding special planning frameworks to other infrastructure sectors, starting with energy, to streamline approval processes. 3. Infrastructure Development: Creating a task force to accelerate stalled energy infrastructure projects. Ensuring that the Deputy Prime Minister will intervene directly in cases where energy projects can significantly help the regional and national economies. 4. National Wealth Fund: A proposed National Wealth Fund aims to catalyse private sector investment in the energy sector, particularly in new and growing industries. 5. Regulatory Support: The government plans to set out new policy intentions for critical infrastructure, including energy, and update relevant national policy statements to support the sector. #renewableenergy #netzero #economicpolicy