Transmission Delays Undermine Australia Renewable Investment, Queensland Confidence Falls

Australia's renewable energy sector is facing significant challenges due to slow transmission infrastructure rollout, delays in planning assessments, and costly grid connections, which are hampering investment and threatening the country's net zero goals. According to the Clean Energy Investor Group's survey of investors managing A$38 billion in renewables, investor confidence in Australia is lukewarm, with nearly half rating the country as only "somewhat attractive" for future projects. New South Wales has overtaken Queensland as the leading state for renewable energy investment potential, as Queensland's LNP government has introduced policy changes favoring coal and gas, including scrapping funding for a battery industrialization center and imposing controversial Community Benefit Agreement requirements for renewables projects. These developments have caused concern among investors about planning uncertainty, policy instability, and government intervention, undermining Queensland's previous renewable energy targets. The most favored technologies among investors remain onshore wind, solar, and battery projects, while enthusiasm for green hydrogen has declined following the closure of a major project. Industry leaders are urging federal and state governments to address regulatory bottlenecks and improve the investment climate to retain global capital and accelerate renewable energy deployment in Australia.