Australia’s longest serving energy minister, Victorian Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Resources and the State Electricity Commission (SEC) Lily D’Ambrosio has announced she is retiring from politics.
Hailed as “the best energy minister the state has ever had” by climate group Friends of the Earth, D’Ambrosio said she would not recontest the seat of Mill Park at the election in November, and would be stepping down from the Cabinet.
“It has been my proud honour to have represented the people of Mill Park since 2002,” she said in a statement.
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“Meeting with and listening to people about what matters to them and ultimately fighting for them has been a tremendous privilege.
“I have had the privilege to help deliver the first of many policy reforms to navigate the profound transformation of our energy system, with people always at the heart of change. We’ve implemented nation-leading energy consumer protections, grown clean renewable energy, and reduced our greenhouse gas emissions all whilst saving Victorians on their energy bills and securing our energy future.
“With our first offshore wind auction set to launch in August and Victoria now well placed to manage any further disruption to global fuel markets, I have decided that it is time to step back.”
Under D’Ambrosio, Victoria introduced the first state net zero legislation in the country as well as strong renewable energy laws. The state boasts the lowest energy prices nationally.
“We’ve not only set the most ambitious emissions reduction and renewable energy targets anywhere in the nation—we’ve achieved every one of them,” D’Ambrosio said.
“We’ve cut emissions by 28.5 per cent since 2014 and in 2024-25 financial year a remarkable 41.5% of electricity generated in Victoria came from renewables.”
Friends of the Earth acknowledged D’Ambrosio’s vision and her achievements in transforming energy supply in the state.
“Victoria had an old and dirty energy system when Lily was appointed to her role as minister. When Labor came to power in 2014, Victoria was largely reliant on brown coal for energy generation. With D’Ambrosio as Minister, successive Victorian Labor governments have helped the state reach more than 40% renewable energy,” the organisation said in a statement.
“In her early days as minister she rebuilt the climate policy and legislative infrastructure that had been gutted by the Coalition and helped the state pivot in a bold direction, with a rapid and sustained transition to renewable energy.”
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“These new energy policies saw greenhouse pollution drop and jobs grow in the renewables sector, including in regional Victoria. This has also brought benefits to business and domestic consumers and Victoria now has the cheapest electricity in the country.”
“Her legacy will be thousands of jobs in renewable energy, cheaper electricity prices, a more robust energy system fit for the 21st Century, and Victoria as a national leader on climate.”
