The Clean Energy Council and the Clean Energy Investor Group, Australia’s leading clean energy industry and investment peak bodies, warn that political grandstanding over net-zero targets risks undermining the investor confidence and policy certainty needed to build the cheap, clean and reliable power that Australians need.
The peak bodies called for long-term political stability and a returned focus to unjamming Australia’s clean energy rollout if we are to continue driving investor certainty, which is the only way to ensure the critical projects Australia needs to replace retiring coal get built in time.
Jackie Trad, Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Officer said: “Australians are consistently voting for climate action to protect our environment, and this can only be achieved through universal support for net zero. Without a net zero target we risk further delaying the delivery of new, clean electricity generation capacity that can reduce irreversible impacts on nature and bring down power prices faster than any alternative.
“Australia’s renewables rollout is already well underway with major energy generators, connection assets and system reliability services in train, or under construction. We are replacing Australia’s old, outdated and uneconomic energy system with cleaner, more efficient technology.
“Any time you build new kit it comes at a cost, but research shows Australians will be 30-50 per cent better off with a renewables-led energy system,” Ms Trad said.
Recent modelling by Griffith University shows that a grid powered predominantly by coal and gas, compared to today’s electricity grid, would see power prices 30-50 per cent higher.
The Australian Energy Council, who represents all of the major energy retailers, supports this reality and this week released its own report with companies such as AGL, Energy Australia, Origin Energy and others, citing renewables as the cheapest path forward for Australia to keep energy bills as low as possible in the future.“Scientists, researchers and industry experts agree that a power system predominantly powered by coal and gas is a recipe for higher power bills. Without clean energy, like sun and wind, putting downward pressure on electricity prices, Australia would be increasingly exposed to international price spikes, just as the gas market was following the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Ms Trad said.
We are replacing Australia’s old, outdated and uneconomic energy system with cleaner, more efficient technology.Jackie Trad Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Officer
Richie Merzian, CEO of the Clean Energy Investor Group, said: “The market has already spoken. Wind and solar are the cheapest forms of energy. Jeopardising investment in renewable energy will result in one thing: higher power prices for Australians.
“If we want domestic and international investment in this vital national project to continue and the jobs, benefits, procurement and rates that follow it to continue, then we cannot afford to even contemplate a return to the stop-start approach that has frustrated the majority of Australians backing this transition, for far too long,” he said.
AEMO’s latest quarterly market dynamics report shows over 1100MW of new renewable generation and 129MW of battery storage being added to the National Electricity Market compared to the same time in 2024 and is setting the wholesale market price more frequently.
The market has already spoken. Wind and solar are the cheapest forms of energy. Jeopardising investment in renewable energy will result in one thing: higher power prices for Australians.Richie Merzian Clean Energy Investor Group CEO
In addition, the CSIRO’s 2025 GenCost report, the scorecard estimating the cost of new electricity generation and storage technologies in Australia, found that large scale solar costs fell eight per cent in 2025 for the second year in a row while batteries recorded an annual cost reduction of 20 per cent.
“Clean energy is improving affordability, while network upgrades, big battery innovation and new equipment like ‘synchronous condensers’ ensures renewable-generated electricity supply is reliable,” Ms Trad said.
Ms Trad added that an overreliance on existing coal power stations risks more unplanned outages and is already a major money pit for energy retailers as more frequent equipment breakdowns lead to more price spikes and higher power prices, which are then passed down to customers.
“There’s no denying the science. The fastest way to bring down power bills for households and businesses is the deployment of the cheapest cost of new energy generation which is wind and solar, backed up by hydro, batteries and a little bit of gas. The challenge is the majority of Australia’s electricity (approx. 60%) still comes from unreliable coal and expensive gas-fired power stations,” Ms Trad said.
Mr Merzian said: “The market has identified that the best possible option for replacing coal fired power is via renewables, backed up with storage.
“Investors are ready to deliver the renewable energy projects Australia needs. What we need now is bipartisan commitment to net-zero and a stable investment environment,” he said.
ENDS
For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
Liam Straughan
Clean Energy Council Media Officer
+61 409 470 683
Hayden Starr
Clean Energy Investor Group Marketing, Comms & Media Lead
media@ceig.org.au
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