With an $8 billion allocation to unlock additional renewable investment, the latest Federal Budget brings Australia’s net zero future to the forefront – a focus that industry has welcomed.
The 2025–26 budget aims to contribute to a stronger economy and provide cost-of-living relief, with funding to continue driving Australia’s energy transition forward.
This includes support for renewable technologies, green metals and private and global investment, as well as an expansion of federal energy bill relief program.
Following the announcement, Australia’s energy industry has celebrated many of the funding allocations, while also calling for more support.
Clean Energy Council
The Clean Energy Council (CEC) welcomed the additional electricity bill rebates, particularly given current cost-of-living struggles.
CEC CEO, Kane Thornton, said while this short-term relief will be welcomed by Australians, a national home battery rebate program would assist in overcoming the upfront costs of a home battery, helping to lower power prices for all Australians.
“Four million Australians have rooftop solar, but only around 180,000 are doubling their savings with access to a home battery,” he said.
“That means that 95.5 per cent of solar households, already saving $1500 on average on their power bills thanks to their panels, could be saving even more through home energy storage.”
Mr Thornton said the 2024–25 Budget delivered significant investment and programs to aid the transition of the Australia’s National Energy Market to clean energy, necessary with the pending retirement of ageing coal-fired power stations.
“Since the 2024–25 Budget, which was historic for our sector, around 46 per cent of our energy needs are now being met by clean energy generation and storage.
“That’s rooftop solar and home batteries, large scale solar and wind, community batteries and pumped hydro, with new technologies coming online every day and more that will become available in the future, including offshore wind and new long-duration storage solutions.”
Mr Thornton said clean energy solutions are already putting downward pressure on power bills, while sharing the job and economic opportunities throughout the country’s cities and regions.
“Getting as much of the lowest-cost renewables – solar, wind, batteries and pumped hydro – online in our energy system sooner is the only way we can bring long-term energy bill relief to all Australians,” he said.
Tech Council of Australia
The Tech Council of Australia (TCA) said it supports a range of the initiatives announced to grow skills and support the development of energy technology to advance Australia’s economic growth.
It also welcomed the commitment to drive innovation through the investment in the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, which aligns with the mission of the Consumer Energy Tech Alliance (CETA) – to expand Australian-grown technology solutions for grid orchestration.
However, the TCA expressed disappointment that no explicit tech sector investment was included in the package of budget measures.
The organisation said it is a missed opportunity to build Australia’s national competitiveness at a time of domestic productivity decline and critical global trade volatility.
The TCA said it will continue to engage with the Federal Government to ensure that technology investment sits front-and-centre of its 2025 election platform.
Energy Consumers Australia
Energy Consumers Australia (ECA) welcomed the extension to the federal electricity rebates, but called for more support for households and small businesses.
ECA CEO, Brendan French, said the organisation’s latest Consumer Energy Report Card shows that 40 per cent of residential and small business consumers found it hard to pay their energy bills in the previous six months.
“Extending the current rebates to December is welcome, but it doesn’t tackle the root causes of energy hardship. Households and small businesses need governments to provide sustainable assistance that will help them lower their bills for good.
“We need to treat not just the symptoms but the cause and ensure supports so that all Australians have energy efficient homes and can realise the benefits of low-cost, renewable energy,” Dr French said.
“To do this, we would like to see measures such as nationally consistent minimum energy efficiency standards for all rental properties Australia-wide.”
ECA also supported the extension of the ACCC’s inquiry into the National Electricity Market.
“This important work by the ACCC has uncovered vital information about the issues facing households and small businesses in the energy market.
“We look forward to continuing to work with the government on these vital reforms.”
