Australia’s framework governing the energy obligations of large data centres advanced on multiple fronts last week.

Citicore has broken ground on the country’s first embedded solar integrated renewable energy and energy storage system (IRESS) facility.

Australian Vanadium Limited has signed an MoU with Alcoa to evaluate the deployment of vanadium flow battery technology in Western Australia.

AMPYR Australia has received a 5.3.4 letter from AEMO for the 270MW Northern Battery near Port Augusta in South Australia.

BESS and solar have driven Australia past the halfway mark in NEM renewable penetration, but the technology mix is not yet broad enough.

Grid-forming BESS have not yet been confirmed to meet the highest tier of system strength requirements in Australia’s NEM, according to AEMO.

NEM-wide battery price spreads fell 85% in a single year to average AU$51/MWh (US$35/MWh) in Q2 2026, according to AEMO.

Australia’s NEM connected 9.1GW of new generation and energy storage to full output in FY26, more than double the result achieved in FY25.

German solar and storage developer ib vogt has received state planning approval for the 120MW/480MWh Wagga North battery energy storage system (BESS) in New South Wales, Australia.

Australian transmission operator Transgrid has opened a pathway for 900MW of grid-forming inverter-equipped battery storage to contribute to New South Wales’ minimum system strength requirements.