Wednesday 10 December.
Clean energy backed by storage is the lowest-cost source of electricity for Aussie households and businesses, and any delays to the renewable energy roll-out will cost us all, the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) Integrated Systems Plan confirms.
AEMO’s latest roadmap confirms that building more transmission – and fast – is integral to the shift to clean energy and replacing Australia’s ageing coal fleet. Building more transmission can deliver more than $20 billion in benefits for Australians, meanwhile any delays to do so could reduce the net benefits by $7 billion and increase costs for Aussie consumers.
Momentum for the shift to clean energy is building, with new renewables records constantly being set. Throughout October this year, 51% of electricity in the NEM came from renewables, while renewables reached a 79% share for a half-hour on 11 October 2025.
As records continue to fall, the pace of the shift to clean energy must increase, including the build-out of new transmission to replace the closing and ageing coal fleet, to secure a stable electricity grid and drive down costs for Aussie families and businesses.
The following experts are available for comment.
To arrange interviews, please contact:
Gabrielle Platt on 0493 442 307 or [email protected]
Sean Kennedy on 0447 121 378 or [email protected] (for requests before 9am)
Stephanie Bashir, principal of Nexa Advisory, has expertise across the energy value chain in technical, commercial, strategic, policy and advisory capacities. She previously led the policy vision and strategy at AGL Energy as Senior Director of Public Policy.
Stephanie said: “This ISP is a reality check on the cost blowouts and delays eroding the benefits consumers were promised from the energy transition. AEMO’s modelling shows net benefits plunging from $28 billion from previous years to just $17 billion—and they’ll keep falling unless we get the transition back on track.
“Energy affordability is now a pressing national issue. Families and the wider economy can’t wait – governments at every level must make transmission the top priority. Energy affordability, and its impact on families and the economy, require real and urgent action.
“Transmission must be the priority for all levels of government. The alternative, which is yet more knee-jerk reaction dressed up as policy, likely to include keeping unreliable coal power stations open beyond their technical life will translate into higher electricity bills for families and business, and a weaker economy.”
Johanna Bowyer, lead analyst for Australian electricity at Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), is an expert on trends in the National Electricity Market, energy policy, and energy market finance. Johanna previously worked at CSIRO, Solar Analytics and Suntech and as a management consultant at Kearney.
Johanna said: "This update reminds us that Australia's renewable uptake is racing ahead – we've replaced 10 coal power plants since 2012, and more than 40% of our electricity was generated from renewables in the last financial year. However, as our remaining coal fleet continues to age, there is more work needed to meet our emissions targets and secure a reliable future power supply.
“With new wind and solar generation being less costly than new coal, AEMO expects private investment will continue to flow into renewable energy as the key technology to replacing ageing coal-fired power plants.”
Jay Gordon, Energy Finance Analyst, Australian Electricity at Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) has experience in modeling Australia’s energy system transition. Jay previously led Climateworks Centre’s energy system modelling capabilities. This included collaborating with the CSIRO on several landmark whole-of-economy modelling projects for the Australian electricity sector, including for AEMO.
Jay said: "AEMO has served a warning that we can't count on part-time coal power. AEMO expects our coal fleet to be fully available only three quarters of the time between 2027 and 2035. Meanwhile, most coal plants are already lowering their output at different times of the day or year, as they simply can't compete with renewables.
"AEMO forecasts a gradual increase in gas generation capacity, but this depends on significant, costly gas infrastructure investments. AEMO hasn't tested the commercial viability of these investments, which could even see southern states in the bizarre position of re-importing some of northern Australia's LNG exports.
"In our view, the draft ISP doesn't fully appreciate the huge boom in household battery uptake. Households are installing far more batteries than most experts had forecast, and the average size of these batteries is very large. Our analysis found that homes with batteries have far less reliance on the grid on most days, and many are able to export energy back in peak times. This can offset the need for expensive gas generation."
Richie Merzian, CEO of Clean Energy Investor Group, advocates on behalf of investors on the policy, process and market design needed to unlock low-cost capital for Australia's clean energy transition. Previously, Richie directed the international work of the Smart Energy Council, headed up the Climate & Energy Program at The Australia Institute and was a lead United Nations climate negotiator for the Australian Government.
Richie said: “The ISP reaffirms renewables as the cheapest form of energy and lays out a shared and honest roadmap for the transition and the obstacles ahead.
“To fund 120GW of solar and wind, it is crucial we continue to attract foreign investment, which makes up the majority of clean energy financing.
“If we delay the renewable rollout, as shown in ISP’s Constrained Delivery sensitivity recommended by the Clean Energy Investor Group, we all pay – through higher energy prices as coal stays in the system longer or through missed renewable energy targets and future industry investment opportunities.
“Clean energy investors stand ready to deliver the $128 billion in capital for the grid-scale generation, storage, and distribution, with the right investment signals in the market.
“The Accelerated Transition scenario is increasingly within reach, but only if governments address delays in planning assessment processes and transmission buildout.”
Contact details:
To arrange interviews, please contact:
Gabrielle Platt on 0493 442 307 or [email protected]
Sean Kennedy on 0447 121 378 or [email protected] (for requests before 9am)
