Australia adds record 9.1 GW of solar, wind and battery capacity
Australia saw a record 9.1 GW of new renewable energy and storage capacity added in the 2025-26 financial year. The growth was driven largely by battery storage projects, which now account for over half of the total development pipeline.
Why it matters
The rapid expansion of battery and renewable infrastructure is critical for Australia's transition to a cleaner energy grid and meeting national climate targets.
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) said 9.1 GW of new generation and storage capacity across 34 projects reached full output in the 2025-26 financial year, more than double the 4.4 GW completed in the previous year.
The projects delivered 12.9 GWh of energy storage capacity and included solar, wind and battery energy storage systems (BESS) across Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM). The June quarter accounted for 3.9 GW of the annual total, including 2.7 GW of standalone battery storage, 500 MW of co-located solar and battery capacity, 400 MW of standalone solar, and 200 MW of wind generation.
AEMO’s latest Connections Scorecard also showed eight projects totaling 1.5 GW achieved registration during the financial year, while a record 32 project applications representing 6.9 GW were approved. Registration and application approvals reached 7.4 GW/14 GWh and 14.2 GW/31.1 GWh, respectively.
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