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Callide-oscope

In this Weekly Dispatch:

  1. An explosion at Callide on April 4 went under the radar, and since then, the CEO and general manager have stepped down. The plant is not expected to return online until the end of May.
  2. The George Institute for Global Health show that simple grocery swaps can dramatically reduce household emissions.
  3. Peter Dutton says he would use Commonwealth powers to override states on nuclear if necessary.
  4. Samsung C&T Renewable Energy Australia seeks approval for an 80 MW / 320 MWh battery energy storage project in NSW.
  5. The IEEFA wrote a discussion piece on the risks of extending coal.
  6. Energy Networks Australia want the government to remove the capital gains tax on compensation payments to landholders hosting transmission.
  7. Podcast of the week: Columbia Energy Exchange chat about tariffs and energy.

PEC in Order

In this Weekly Dispatch:

  1. The first phase of EnergyConnect is now operational.
  2. Queensland’s five-year energy plan will be released at the end of the year, with new gas plants being announced.
  3. The costs of the CopperString transmission line have increased from $9 billion to almost $14 billion.
  4. The CSIRO and Essential Energy demonstrated vehicle-to-grid (V2G) power using CCS2, Australia’s dominant EV charging system.
  5. The Coalition’s gas plan is expected to reduce household bills by 7%.
  6. Western Australia’s first grid-connected hybrid solar-battery site comes online.
  7. Tajikistan criminalizes electricity use fraud such as tampering meter readings amid energy crisis.
  8. Podcast of the week: Ausgrid, in their podcast, chat about energy storage in the NEM.

CWOpen for Business

In this Weekly Dispatch:

  1. CWO is expected to commence construction in the coming weeks, with the NSW Government announcing that ACEREZ – a consortium of ACCIONA, COBRA, and Endeavour Energy – will design, build and finance.
  2. Endgame held our first seminar of the year in Sydney yesterday on the Q2 NEM outlook, with two more to come in Melbourne and Brisbane in the following weeks.
  3. Samoa suffering energy crisis after weeks of power outages.
  4. Viva Energy has engaged Poten & Partners to secure a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) for its proposed LNG terminal in Geelong, Australia.
  5. Construction starts on New Zealand’s largest solar farm.
  6. Pennsylvania coal plant to transform into 4.5GW gas-powered plant.
  7. Podcast of the week: Columbia Energy Exchange chat about the energy transition in the EU.

Turning a new Page

In this Weekly Dispatch:

  1. The ACCC predicts that gas supply in the East Coast gas market could fall short by 9 petajoules (PJ) from July to September 2025 if LNG producers export all their uncontracted gas.
  2. The Coalition plans to force gas companies to set aside supply to guarantee energy for the Australian market.
  3. NT government abandons target of 50 per cent renewables by 2030.
  4. The federal government is planning on extending energy bill subsidies.
  5. Podcast of the week: Let Me Sum Up discusses the budget and its impact on the energy sector.

Close call

In this Weekly Dispatch:

  1. AEMO released the GSOO and is forecasting gaps from 2028 onwards in southern Australia.
  2. The federal government announced various batteries in Western Australia as part of the Capacity Investment Scheme.
  3. EnergyAustralia reaffirms Yallourn closure date by 2028 amid media extension claims.
  4. The Grattan Institute calls for a national net zero plan to provide the framework for longer-term investment and other climate policies.
  5. ARENA has announced the first recipient from its Hydrogen Headstart Program, with $814 million in funding allocated to Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners’ 1,500 MW Murchison Green Hydrogen Project in Western Australia.
  6. Podcast of the week: Ausgrid chat about unlocking DNSPs to enable the transition.  

Default Judgement

In this Weekly Dispatch:

  1. The AER releases its draft determination on the 2025-26 default market offer, with the DMO rising by between 2.5% and 8.9% depending on where you are.
  2. Windlab’s Junction Rivers project fails to secure REZ access after winning underwriting through CIS tender.
  3. A review of the AEMC wholesale demand response mechanism gets underway.
  4. Rio Tinto buys 20 years of energy and storage from Edify Energy’s Smoky Creek and Guthrie’s Gap assets for its Gladstone operations.
  5. Vast Renewables land conditional $180m from ARENA for concentrated solar thermal project near Port Augusta.
  6. Hanwha has won the contract to supply batteries for Ark Energy’s Richmond Valley BESS project.
  7. WattClarity look at how the Frequency Performance Payments changes will affect different market participants.
  8. Podcast of the Week: The Redefining Energy podcast talk about developments in PPAs in Europe and the US.

Angry Birds

In this Weekly Dispatch:

  1. Robbins Island wind farm decision is delayed due to the orange-bellied parrot.
  2. Federal government rejects Seadragon offshore windfarm.
  3. Synergy is under financial strain due to mounting energy transition costs.
  4. WA wind and solar projects have stalled.
  5. Frontier Economics released a report on the environmental impact of EVs.
  6. Macquarie Bank has withdrawn from the Net Zero Banking Alliance.  
  7. Taslink plans deep-sea cable to connect Australia and NZ grids.
  8. Costs estimates for Energy Connect have increased from $2.1 billion to $3.6 billion.
  9. Podcast of the week: Let Me Sum Up chat about Nuclear in the NEM.

The Phoenix Rises

In this Weekly Dispatch:

  1. AEMO services tenders pumped hydro (ACEN Phoenix) and battery (Enervest Utility, Eku Energy Projects) energy storage projects for the NSW roadmap.
  2. The AEMC is increasing the wholesale market price cap to $20,300/MWh from July 1 2025.
  3. The federal government announces a $25m ‘solar for residents’ initiative with the NSW government.
  4. A compressed storage project near Broken Hill has the green light to go ahead.
  5. Work has stopped on Snowy 2.0 after a ventilation fan imploded.
  6. The ENA has released a report on electrification in Victoria featuring Endgame’s modelling.
  7. Podcast of the week: Tim Nelson chats about the post-2030 energy market review.

Who, What, When, Where? Whyalla

In this Weekly Dispatch:

  1. SA Whyalla hydrogen plant shelved.
  2. The IEEFA explores the worsening supply-demand outlook in Australia’s eastern states.
  3. The US energy secretary says Australia should get into the nuclear game.
  4. CAEEPR released two detailed consultation papers on AEMO’s 2024-2025 GenCost document and the draft 2025 IASR.  
  5. Podcast of the week:  Wired for good (Ausgrid) chat about electrifying homes.

Roadmap release

In this Weekly Dispatch:

  1. ARENA published the National V2G strategy featuring Endgame’s modelling.
  2. The CEC published their quarterly investment report in renewable generation and storage. Stating that financial commitments were made for 4.3 GW of new renewable capacity last year.
  3. AEMO released the December 2024 quarterly connections scorecard. 3.6GW of new connection applications were received.
  4. European natural gas prices soar with speculations of a price cap.
  5. Podcast of the week: The Catalyst chat about data centers and co-locating with generation.
  6. This week in NEM history: Eight years ago this week operational demand reached 14,087 MW in NSW when NSW sweltered through a 43 degree heatwave. As we approach the end of summer we have seen operational demand barely exceeding 12,463 MW in NSW. 

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