This Month
Santos CFO changeover brings CEO succession to the fore
Former Woodside executive Sherry Duhe joins as some are questioning what the transition plan will be when longstanding chief executive Kevin Gallagher exits.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
How to win over communities to renewables
The UK is considering incentives, such as cheaper power prices, to encourage communities to back renewables. Could it work here?
- Mark Ludlow
- Explainer
- Energy transition
How much water does nuclear really need?
The Coalition’s plan for atomic energy has raised concerns about the amount of water that reactors will use in a hotter and drier Australia.
- Christopher Niesche
PEP, OPTrust call in bankers for $2b Zenith Energy play; refi first
The immediate task at hand is to rustle up a refinancing for Zenith, which wants to upsize its borrowings from about $760 million to $1.3 billion.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
The secret behind Germany’s record renewables buildout
Securing approvals for one project to erect three wind turbines used to require 36,000 pages of documentation. Germany turned it around in two years.
- Marilen Martin and Akshat Rathi
Wild winds blow up solar farm profits
Almost 80 per cent of NSW solar farm output was turned off on Sunday to avoid losses as prices plunged due to oversupply amid plentiful rooftop solar and wind power.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
- Opinion
- Energy transition
Solving the complexity of net zero is not that hard
The core principles that drive good investment are also at play in climate change. Let prices do the talking.
- Gates Moss
Activists seek to stir investor revolt at Woodside
Market Forces is urging shareholders to demand a board revamp at the oil and gas producer, citing a huge increase in emissions from its US LNG export plans.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
August
Global Infrastructure Partners closes in on $5b-plus Jemena stake
Jemena is the largest gas distributor in NSW, and the state-owned utilities giant’s slice is expected to be worth $5 billion to $6 billion.
- Sarah Thompson, Kanika Sood and Emma Rapaport
Pressure on power grid eases as EV uptake falters
The Australian Energy Market Operator also cited softer economic growth and the bigger size of rooftop solar systems for the cut in forecast demand from the grid.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith and Ben Potter
APA Group says customers to pay if pipeline regulated
The gas operator’s chief executive Adam Watson says a decision to subject a key Queensland pipeline to full price regulation will hit customers with higher bills.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
Snowy Hydro’s Kurri Kurri generator to run on diesel for months
The new 660-megawatt power station will begin operating in December but only switch to gas early next year, with green hydrogen now a long-term option.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
- Updated
- Earnings season
Woodside investor relief as payouts to remain ‘strong’
Analysts are expected to lift Woodside’s forecast yield after it clung to an 80 per cent payout ratio for shareholder returns.
- Updated
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
Collapsed Queensland batteries maker draws early buyer interest
The descent of Redflow into administration follows similar collapses earlier this year of Tritium and Redback Technologies, which have both since been sold.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
Power squeeze worries linger despite Eraring extension
Delays in renewable energy zones and rising electricity demand from data centres mean concerns about power supply reliability haven’t gone away.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
Snowy Hydro adds fourth tunnel borer in bid to keep project on track
Snowy’s decision to spend $75 million on an extra tunnel boring machine signals it is prioritising start-up timing over cost pressures at the project.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
- Opinion
- Letters to the Editor
Musk, Abbott just the tip of the iceberg of climate inaction
Readers’ letters on ‘climate claptrap’; Greens pushing to own mines; the urgency of power grid modernisation; the sad end of Black Caviar; and international student numbers.
Sun Cable targeting green customers as approval secured
Several letters of intent have been signed with aspiring industrial-scale green energy buyers in Darwin, Sun Cable Australia MD Cameron Garnsworthy said.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
Santos juggles growth against returns eyeing Narrabri
Any investment decisions on new growth projects will have to be weighed up against returning capital to shareholders, CEO Kevin Gallagher said.
- Updated
- Angela Macdonald-Smith
- Exclusive
- Activist shareholders
APA Group faces activist action over Beetaloo pipeline
A shareholder resolution lodged by Market Forces driven by climate concerns comes as APA’s board is facing the risk of a “second strike” at its October AGM.
- Angela Macdonald-Smith