Latest
- Banking Award Winner
- Women in Leadership
The ‘utterly shocking’ moment that made Westpac leader want to flee
Siobhan Toohill, the winner of the Financial Services - Banking category, faces a new frontier after 10 years leading Westpac’s sustainability efforts, including convincing the board to ditch new oil and gas projects.
- Ayesha de Kretser
‘Dark doldrums’ hits wind power supply
A “drought” in wind power generation, described by the German word dunkelflaute meaning “dark doldrums”, has surprised the market and contributed to a squeeze on east-coast gas supplies inflating wholesale prices.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
Rio Tinto puts biofuels before batteries in carbon credit push
The miner reckons farmers should be eligible to earn carbon credits for growing crops that can be turned into carbon-neutral biofuels.
- Peter Ker
- Exclusive
- Mergers & acquisitions
Renewables investing ‘not for everyone’, says Brookfield-target Neoen
Neoen global boss Xavier Barbaro says the capital intensity of the renewables industry is impacting investor appetite.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
Sir Andrew Mackenzie: time to focus on the best few climate solutions
The Shell chairman says the world’s carbon challenge is harder than he realised while running BHP, and it’s time for a global focus on a few winning solutions
- Peter Ker and Lap Phan
This Month
Rio Tinto punts on British start-up to plug renewables gap
The mining giant joined a $575 million investment round for Highview Power, which says its storage technology can firm renewable power.
- Hans van Leeuwen
Skyrocketing gas prices intensify fears of shortage this winter
There are growing fears the long-forecast shortage in supplies in the south-eastern states will emerge this winter, hitting manufacturers hard.
- Updated
- Angela Macdonald-Smith and Gus McCubbing
Grong Grong (population 150) does its bit to solve the energy crisis
Small-scale solar farms like that at Grong Grong can fly below the radar but represent a large opportunity to plug renewable power into the system.
- Nick Lenaghan
Over budget and plagued with delays: UK nuclear lessons for Australia
The big challenges facing nuclear power in Britain, both for large reactors and SMRs, are not technological or economic, but largely administrative and logistical.
- Hans van Leeuwen
- Exclusive
- Nuclear energy
Switkowski backs nuclear push, Dutton promises costings
Ziggy Switkowski says nuclear power has a role to play in the zero-emissions energy mix and would deliver a positive return to taxpayers.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Canberra Observed
Dutton is prepared to take risks, but he is no onion eater
The signature difference between what the Coalition unleashed on Wednesday and the debilitating climate fights of the past is that both parties are operating from the assumption that emissions need to be reduced.
- Phillip Coorey
Tech no hurdle for Coalition’s nuclear plan
Several proven technologies would fit the bill for the opposition’s nuclear expansion plan, while Australia has a head start on nuclear regulation, experts say.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
Labor’s AUKUS embrace negates nuclear waste argument: Dutton
Labor has already agreed to establish a high-level nuclear waste dump under the AUKUS pact.
- Phillip Coorey
Gas shortage warning exposes deep energy mess
Low wind power amid a cold snap is threatening to create a gas shortfall – exposing the effect of supply restrictions and jeopardising the Coalition’s nuclear ambitions.
- Updated
- Angela Macdonald-Smith and Gus McCubbing
What do Nobel, Dulux and Australia’s first high-rise have in common?
From making bricks for the 1956 Olympics to paint, explosives and mining technology company Orica’s long history mirrors the Australian economy.
- Patrick Durkin
Towns at ground zero say if nuclear means jobs, bring it on
People in Morwell and Traralgon, at ground zero of the nuclear debate, say the need for new jobs could win them over to Peter Dutton’s nuclear energy plans.
- Gus McCubbing
Dutton challenges Albanese to nuclear election
Peter Dutton has pulled the trigger on the nuclear power plan the opposition will take to the next election, sparking concern about delays to the energy transition.
- Updated
- Phillip Coorey
Dutton’s nuclear power plan explained in brief
How will the Coalition’s plan for large-scale and small modular reactors work, and what will it cost?
- Tom McIlroy
Nuclear no help in today’s energy supply crisis: industry
Energy-intensive industry says the Coalition’s nuclear plan delays action on emissions and doesn’t address energy security and affordability for the next decade.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
European renewables outfit TagEnergy takes $4b wind farm bet
The company, backed by the same investment firm behind sector giant Neoen, has locked in financing from major local lenders and the government’s green bank.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
How Australia can become a world leader in green hydrogen
A short course is being developed to give electrical engineers the specialist knowledge they need to work in the emerging green hydrogen sector.
- Christopher Niesche
Climate wars to escalate with Dutton to unveil nuclear sites
Peter Dutton will escalate the climate wars on Wednesday by announcing site plans for nuclear power plants.
- Phillip Coorey
How an energy ‘boot camp’ rescued this mega wind farm
Rye Park was running into trouble. Its backer – and key customer – needed its power but owner Tilt couldn’t get it to the grid. Enter AEMO.
- Ben Potter
- Exclusive
- Nuclear energy
Cancelled nuclear talk enrages politicians and engineers
There’s been a revolt against Engineers Australia over cancelling a speech by a nuclear scientist after a pressure from renewables backer Simon Holmes à Court.
- John Kehoe
Can investors de-risk the energy transition? It depends who you ask
Energy companies and big investors are pivoting to projects that can skirt the transition roadblocks, cut carbon and make money for shareholders.
- Ben Potter