Four in five Australian energy leaders rank policy and regulatory uncertainty among the top three barriers to getting energy projects investment-ready, according to new global research.
Nearly half (49%) of respondents also said sufficient capital was available but there was a shortage of investable projects.
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These are some of the key findings from The Energy Readiness Equation, published by Jacobs and based on a survey of 600 energy-sector decision makers across Australia, the U.S., U.K., Germany and Singapore.
Delivery challenges extend beyond individual energy projects, with 62% of Australian respondents say the readiness of supporting infrastructure is a major or critical constraint on energy delivery, compared with 57% globally. This includes water, telecommunications, roads, ports, and the workforce infrastructure needed to support major projects.
Jacobs regional solutions director energy and power Lara Kruk said, “Australia has the renewable resources and investment appetite to accelerate its energy transition. The challenge is converting that potential into reliable power quickly enough.
“Too often, projects are held back by the infrastructure around them—transmission, approvals, roads, ports, and workforce capacity. Bringing governments, regulators, network operators, developers and communities together earlier can help resolve constraints sooner, give investors greater certainty and move more projects from ambition to operation.”
Across the four other geographies surveyed, key constraints include:
- United States: 80% rank permitting among the top three delivery barriers, the highest share citing permitting across the regions surveyed. Rapid growth in data centres, artificial intelligence, and advanced manufacturing is putting pressure on electricity demand.
- United Kingdom: 59% rank grid or network readiness among the top three delivery barriers, the highest share citing grid readiness across the five geographies included in the survey. The UK is reshaping its energy system through planning and connections reform, increasing the importance of network capacity and delivery pace.
- Germany: 84% expect at least a quarter of major energy infrastructure projects to be at risk of delay or cost overrun, while 68% identify supply-chain disruption as a potential risk to operations. Grid expansion is competing with other major programmes for scarce skills and equipment.
- Singapore: 67% say other infrastructure systems are a major or critical constraint. Strong long-term planning and institutional coordination provide a solid foundation, but growing reliance on regional electricity imports is creating new cross-border dependencies.
Jacobs president of global operations Patrick Hill said, “There is no single organisation, sector, or geography with all the answers to the energy security challenge, but there is a lot we can learn from one another.
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“From our own experience, delivery improves when the industry shares what works and addresses dependencies earlier—with governments, regulators, investors and delivery teams working from a collective view of what is needed. That is how energy ambitions become infrastructure that serves economies and communities for decades.”
