The Clean Energy Council has welcomed the Albanese Government’s commitment in the Federal Budget for 2026-27, which includes accelerating environmental approvals for clean energy infrastructure, describing the reforms as critical to rebuilding Australia’s electricity system as coal-fired generation retires.
Key measures include progressing a new National Environmental Protection Agency, advancing bilateral environmental agreements and streamlining assessment processes to reduce delays for utility-scale renewable energy projects. The industry body says the reforms will help generation and storage projects move through approvals and into construction more efficiently, supporting the nation’s broader energy security and reliability objectives.
Jackie Trad, Chief Executive Officer at Clean Energy Council, says while Federal funding and policy support remain important, the renewable energy sector continues to face challenges around regulatory certainty and project delivery timeframes at the state level.
“Rebuilding the power system is not a simple exercise, but nor is it a zero-sum game,” Trad says.
“Regional communities wanting secure jobs, small businesses that want procurement, councils that want rates and manufacturers that want to supply equipment are all set to benefit from this transformation.”
Trad says bipartisan support and faster regulatory processes will be essential to maintaining momentum across the energy transition, warning that delays risk increasing costs and slowing investment.
“We’re over halfway on progress towards delivering on our energy targets,” she says.
“Wind, solar, batteries, hydro and gas are providing a flexible, reliable and cost-effective solution for secure electricity right now.”
The Budget also includes support for the decarbonisation of the Boyne Island Aluminium Smelter, funding to implement the National Electricity Market Review and continued investment in the National Consumer Energy Resources Roadmap.
