Media

Snowy Hydro, one of Australia’s longest-running renewable energy projects, has signed its first major battery storage deal with Akaysha Energy to build the Elaine Battery in Victoria. The battery will provide short-duration storage to complement Snowy’s long-duration pumped hydro, helping balance supply when solar and wind are unavailable. Tim Buckley of Climate Energy Finance says this marks a turning point, with battery tech disrupting Australia’s fossil-fuel-heavy energy market. Backed by global investor BlackRock, Akaysha plans five battery sites. Buckley argues that large-scale batteries are timely, cost-effective, and essential for decarbonisation, especially amid political inaction and failures of past mega-projects like Snowy 2.0 Read more

Tim Buckley from the think tank Climate Energy Finance says that China is stepping up on the global stage as the U.S. pulls back from its climate responsibilities. He notes that China is eager to lead and now has the chance to be seen as the “good guy” in climate action. Buckley highlights that China’s rapid technological development over the past decade has made clean energy solutions more viable and scalable than ever before, helping to accelerate the global transition to lower emissions. Read more

The government plans to cut carbon emissions by 62–70% to help stop global warming caused by pollution. Some politicians are against the plan. But expert Tim Buckley says investors might still support it because it encourages new investment. However, the political pushback could make things harder. Read more

Tim Buckley discusses the inevitability of transitioning Australia’s economy, particularly for regions reliant on heavy emitting industries like the Hunter Valley. He reassures workers that change is coming, but there is time to adapt and seize new opportunities. Buckley stresses the importance of addressing climate science and the risks of inaction, including more frequent extreme weather events. He highlights the massive investment potential in industries like green iron, green aluminium, and electric vehicles, creating thousands of new jobs. Buckley believes the Albanese government’s efforts to rebuild public service capacity are crucial for meeting climate targets and ensuring a strong economy. Read more

Tim Buckley sees Sun Cable’s pivot from a 4,200km subsea electricity cable to solar-powered data centres as a pragmatic shift […] Read more

Tim Buckley, energy analyst at Climate Energy Finance, explains the strategic importance of a new rare earth discovery amid the global shift to renewables. Rare earths, though niche, are critical for technologies like EVs and wind turbines. China dominates global supply, making non-Chinese sources like Australia vital, especially during US-China trade tensions. The Australian government may support viable projects for sovereign capability. However, environmental concerns exist due to radioactivity and mining impacts, raising questions about social and geopolitical consequences. Read more

Australia is fossil fuel dependent – supplying half the globes’ iron ore, and nearly as much coking coal. In a world that’s looking to get away from fossil fuels, this is a problem. What can Australia do to maintain its mineral wealth and meet emissions targets? Rear Vision drills down into our coal and iron-ore industries. And asks, can Green Iron save us? Read more

The Prime Minister has spent much of the day trying to guarantee the future of Australia’s critically important exports to China’s steel industry, wrapping up a high-level roundtable on green steel in Shanghai. Australian coal and iron ore exports have fuelled China’s construction boom and underwritten Australian prosperity for years, pouring hundreds of billions of dollars into the budget. But as China’s steel industry moves to decarbonise — as well as diversifying its imports and winding down production — Australia’s long resources boom faces an uncertain future. Read more

The key problem is that Snowy Hydro has built 7 new fossil fuel generation projects since the turn of this century, but has not built a single wind, solar or BESS project. The Snowy board is failing to align with and drive the Federal Government’s ambitious electricity decarbonisation agenda, nor build the replacement generation capacity we need to lower power prices for all. Read more

Electricity prices in South East Queensland, South Australia, and New South Wales are set to rise from 1 July, with NSW seeing an 8–10% increase under the Default Market Offer (DMO). Some providers, such as Momentum Energy, are raising rates by up to 25%. Energy Minister Chris Bowen will today announce a review of the DMO, aiming to prioritise public interest over energy company profits. Tim Buckley, Director of Climate Energy Finance, criticised the current system, urging consumers to shop around annually to avoid a “loyalty tax”. While reforms are expected next year, households will face higher prices in the meantime. Read more

Tim Buckley, Climate Energy Finance Director, says energy costs are rising across the board—network, wholesale, retail—driven in part by long-term […] Read more

There’s a big debate in Australia about nuclear power. The Liberal-National Coalition says it’s key to cutting carbon and electricity costs, and estimates it will cost $331 billion. The Labor Party disagrees, saying it would cost closer to $600 billion. An independent group, Climate Energy Finance, thinks it could cost as much as $4.3 trillion. Read more