The pace of new energy projects connecting to the National Electricity Market (NEM) accelerated in the December quarter, with 20 projects (4.9 GW) receiving application approvals, 11 projects (1.7 GW) registering, and four projects (0.6 GW) reaching full output.
According to the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) Onboarding and Connections Group Manager, Margarida Pimentel, the project registrations in the last six months reached 5.2 GW — more than double the previous 12-month period.
“This surge reflects the wave of application approvals in 2023,” she said.
Solar projects led registrations in the December quarter with 831 megawatts (MW), followed by wind (440 MW), batteries (350 MW), and upgrades to existing facilities (49 MW).
“These registered projects are built, connected to the grid and can now move through to the final commissioning phase,” Pimentel said.
Meanwhile, application approval volumes over the past six months are similar to the same period last year with 7.5 GW reaching this important milestone, while 2 GW achieved full output, compared to 2.2 GW through the entire FY 2024.
By the end of 2024, 49.6 GW of projects were progressing through the connections process, up from 36.4 GW a year earlier. Battery projects accounted for 18.1 GW, nearly doubling from the previous year.
Pimentel highlighted improvements from the Connections Reform Initiative, which streamlined approval processes and accelerated project timelines by up to 10 weeks for certain NSW projects.
The scorecard follows AEMO’s Quarterly Energy Dynamics report, which showed record demand levels, a rise in renewable contributions, and declining coal availability.
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