The Clean Energy Council has released its annual Clean Energy Australia 2026 report, which highlights a record-breaking year for renewables, particularly battery storage.
Australia has become the third-largest utility-scale battery market in the world, with a 233% rise in large-scale battery capacity.
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Renewable energy generated 43% of Australia’s electricity, up from 39% in 2024. At the same time, coal-fired power is increasingly failing. There were 90 unscheduled outages in the 2025/26 summer, contributing to 25% of coal capacity being offline on average and underscoring the need for delivery of new infrastructure to maintain the electricity grid.
The report also reveals a challenging regulatory environment and its influence on investment. Just 2.3GW of new renewable energy generation projects reached financial close in 2025—one of the lowest levels in a decade.
Clean Energy Council CEO Jackie Trad said the report painted a picture of enormous momentum and real urgency.
“Critical government programs are in place and private capital is ready, but regulatory challenges, a lack of bipartisan support and delays to critical infrastructure are holding back billions of dollars being invested in regional communities across the country,” she said.
“Clean energy is delivering jobs, community benefits and investment across regional Australia and has the potential to power new markets from data centres to green iron ore. At a time when the need and opportunity for clean energy are clear, we need to work together— industry, governments, and communities—to unlock those opportunities.”
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The Clean Energy Australia 2026 report can be downloaded here.
