South Australia signs Renewable Energy Transformation Agreement set to bolster solar

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The agreement will create at least 1GW of solar and wind power. Image: Epic Energy.

South Australia has become the first state to sign a Renewable Energy Transformation Agreement, aiming to provide the necessary infrastructure for the nation to be powered 100% by wind and solar by 2027.

The agreement will see the state support the development of at least 1GW of solar and wind power by underwriting developers. The federal support will also see it underwrite 400MW of new energy storage capacity to provide additional stability and flexibility to the grid as it transitions to variable renewable energy.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

This will increase the total new storage capacity supported in South Australia to at least 600MW.

It is worth noting that scaling grid infrastructure as part of this agreement will help facilitate the state government’s target of ensuring its electricity is sourced from 100% renewable energy by 2027; South Australia will become one of the country’s first states to do so if achieved.

In signing the agreement, South Australia must also commit to delivering its Hydrogen Jobs Plan; establish its own specific grid reliability mechanism and benchmark to replace the national framework; and work with the federal government to implement policies, practices, and processes that improve community engagement.

Capacity Investment Scheme to aid South Australia’s infrastructure rollout

The agreement also ties into the Albanese government’s plan to build and operate an additional 32GW of renewable energy generation and energy storage around the country by 2030. This is being supported via its Capacity Investment Scheme, with the recent first auction having received interest from more than 40GW of solar and wind projects.

Crucially, to reach this target, a rapid expansion of energy infrastructure must be rolled out in an already ageing system, something that can often be expensive and complicated by several barriers. However, the bilateral agreements have been designed specifically to address the barriers developers, communities, and governments face in delivering renewable energy projects.

While South Australia is the first state to formalise the agreement, agreements are being finalised with other states and territories.

Chris Bowne, South Australia’s minister for climate change and energy, hailed the agreement, stating that it will “give the market the confidence to build new projects”.

“Giving the market the confidence to build new projects is good; signing an agreement to collaborate with South Australia on practical steps to get the best out of this energy transformation for South Australian workers, communities and industry, is great,” Bowne said.

“The Albanese government’s Reliable Renewables Plan is the only plan supported by experts to deliver the clean, cheap, reliable and resilient energy system that Australians deserve. This is in sharp contrast to Peter Dutton’s anti-renewables nuclear plan – which remains uncosted and unexplained.”

Read Next

Premium
July 2, 2025
ANALYSIS: China's leading PV manufacturers are locked in a new round of competition, aiming to outpace each other through record-breaking feats.
July 2, 2025
Indigenous-led renewable energy company Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation (YEC) has submitted plans for a hybrid wind and solar PV renewable energy project to the Australian government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
July 2, 2025
Robotics company Luminous has received AU$4.9 million (US$3.2 million) via Australia’s Solar ScaleUp Challenge to support deploying its ‘LUMI’ technology at utility-scale solar PV power plants.
June 30, 2025
Voting on the US tax reconciliation bill is expected to begin in the Senate today, following a draft published on Friday that hit clean energy tax credits hard.
June 30, 2025
Australian module manufacturer Tindo Solar has secured a 30MW solar module supply agreement to power Australia's first "net zero pipeline”.
June 27, 2025
Indian solar manufacturer Premier Energies has commissioned its 1.2GW TOPCon solar cell manufacturing line at Fab City, Hyderabad, Telangana.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA