{"id":457261,"date":"2026-07-23T03:53:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T10:53:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=457261"},"modified":"2026-07-23T03:53:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T10:53:51","slug":"aussie-green-energy-plans-in-chaos-as-the-majority-of-capacity-investment-scheme-projects-fail-to-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/climatescience.press\/?p=457261","title":{"rendered":"Aussie Green Energy Plans in Chaos, as the Majority of Capacity Investment Scheme Projects Fail to Progress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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From Watts Up With That?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essay by<\/strong> Eric Worrall<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even desperate measures like Australia\u2019s attempt to force US AI companies to pay for Aussie Net Zero<\/a> have fallen flat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Zombie projects drag on Labor clean energy goals<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ryan Cropp<\/a><\/strong> Energy and climate reporter<\/em>
Jul 19, 2026 \u2013 6.34pm<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese last week declared that next-generation data centres would be required to add as much power to the grid as they use<\/a>, and the government is hopeful that the boom will help get many struggling renewables projects over the line.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Tech companies have had discussions with some renewables developers, but have not yet been able to agree on a price high enough to make the projects viable, according to industry sources who requested anonymity to discuss sensitive commercial negotiations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the 19 winners of the policy\u2019s troubled first competitive auction, which were announced more than 18 months ago, only three have reached financial close, which is typically a key precursor to the beginning of construction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Across the scheme\u2019s first four auctions, only 13 of the 59 wind, solar and battery projects that won underwriting support have reached financial close, according to data compiled by Infradebt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unions will use Labor\u2019s 50th national conference this week to push the government to take equity stakes of up to 100 per cent in new renewables projects, and use them to supply competitively priced power to manufacturing businesses and heavy industry.

\u2026Read more: https:\/\/www.afr.com\/policy\/energy-and-climate\/zombie-projects-drag-on-labor-clean-energy-goals-20260719-p60gjq<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s happening is hilarious, in a tragic kind of way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The government has borrowed such a vast amount of money, somewhere in excess of $100 billion by my estimate, to build new powerlines and other supporting infrastructure to designated renewable project precincts, that borrowing splurge has broken the Australian bond market, driving up interest rates to the point most of those projects are no longer viable even with generous government support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Aussie PM Announces Plan to Force US AI Companies to Pay for Australia’s Net Zero Transition<\/a><\/blockquote>