Sophie Vorrath
RenewEconomy
Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Contact Sophie
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Past articles by Sophie:
Rooftop solar set to eclipse coal as installations reach more than 20GW
Rooftop solar installed on Australian homes and businesses will generate more power than the nation’s remaining coal plants when Liddell closes in April. → Read More
Energex and Origin to roll out 35 neighbourhood batteries in solar soaked regional city
Queensland will install 35 neighbourhood batteries to soak up the excess solar in one of the state’s top 10 rooftop PV postcodes. → Read More
Victoria’s biggest wind farm lures major new investor, with billions earmarked for renewables
Ikea buys into $3 billion wind and battery project in Victoria as part of multi-billion dollar renewable spend. → Read More
Bowen says Australia poised to beat 2030 climate target, as emissions plateau
Federal Labor says it is on track to achieve or even beat its 43% emissions reduction by 2030, after a one-third improvement since Coalition was dumped. → Read More
Rooftop solar payback set to shrink to three years, thanks to costly coal and gas
Clean Energy Regulator says forecasts of high energy prices into 2023 and 2024 could see the payback period for rooftop solar cut by another year. → Read More
Cannon-Brookes wins historic battle to green up AGL Energy’s board
AGL shareholders vote in all four independent board candidates nominated by tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes, in direct opposition to advice of current board. → Read More
AGL breaks ground on Broken Hill big battery as AGM looms
AGL Energy kicks off construction of ARENA-backed Broken Hill battery, a 50MW/50MWh lithium-ion BESS in the far west of New South Wales. → Read More
Neoen secures finance for its “virtual” big battery in Canberra
CEFC brings in Infradebt to underwrite Neoen Australia’s 100MW/200MWh Capital Battery, known for its innovative “virtual battery” offtake deal with AGL Energy. → Read More
Works to begin on “world-first” green hydrogen electrolyser in Pilbara
ARENA tips $47m into Australia’s first “substantial” renewable hydrogen project, and one of the largest so far in the world, putting it on track for completion in 2024. → Read More
Neoen unveils massive new plans for a giga-scale big battery in WA coal hub
Neoen unveils proposal to build an up to 1000MW/4000MWh battery facility near the WA town of Collie, where the coal plant is scheduled to retire in 2027. → Read More
Offshore wind plans boosted as developers fathom full Gippsland potential
BlueFloat Energy and Energy Estate announce major boost to capacity of the offshore wind farm they propose to build in the Gippsland Bass Strait region. → Read More
Solar squeezes out coal to set new record low for demand on national grid
A mild, solar charged Sunday has delivered a new winter minimum operational demand low on Australia’s main grid, AEMO says. → Read More
“Momentous:” Labor begins process to declare Australia’s first offshore wind zone
A huge day for renewables as Albanese government starts process to declare Gippsland, in Victoria, as Australia’s first zone for offshore wind development. → Read More
Solar panels go up at BHP’s first major off-grid renewable energy project
Mining giant BHP begins installation of panels at solar and battery project that will help power nickel mining operations in WA’s Northern Goldfields. → Read More
Social licence: Transmission projects push community complaints to record high
From wind turbines to wires: transmission projects the focus of a record number of complaints to the federal government’s Energy Infrastructure Commissioner. → Read More
Clean Energy Summit Live: Subsidise and electrify low-income homes, says Griffith
Clean Energy Award winners announced, Bandt lays down challenge to Labor, Saul Griffith delivers blunt message to federal government. → Read More
Octopus launches $10 billion renewables platform, buys Australia’s biggest solar farm
Octopus kick-starts $10 billion renewables “platform” with closure of two funds, investment from CEFC and purchase of country’s biggest solar farm. → Read More
Tesla says world desperately needs more batteries – and not “hedged bet” on coal
Tesla chair says Australia should focus more on global need to scale battery storage “at sprinting pace,” and less on propping up ageing coal plants. → Read More
Clean Energy Summit Live: World cannot build batteries fast enough, says Tesla
Live coverage of Clean Energy Summit: Tesla’s Denholm on capacity markets, Westerman on energy crisis, NSW on Waratah battery, Thornton on market opportunities. → Read More
Rooftop solar installer cops fine, loses accreditation, over rebate fraud
Canberra-based solar installer fined and stripped of accreditation after being convicted of providing false or misleading documents to get solar rebate. → Read More