The New South Wales Independent Planning Commission approved the Hunter Valley Operations Continuation project to extract 400 million tonnes of coal through 2050. Commissioners determined the predicted economic benefits of the state's largest coal proposal outweigh its projected climate change impacts.
Queensland spot prices fell to minus $246/MWh at 13:15 during a trading day that recorded 10.2 hours of negative prices in the region. AEMO issued notices stating prices were subject to review for eight consecutive trading intervals between 13:10 and 13:45.
Queensland Energy Minister David Janetzki called for a deferral and redesign of the 20 per cent domestic gas reservation mandate to protect industrial supply and pricing. Janetzki advocated for extended coal operations and increased private renewable investment during a National Press Club address. He noted a 25 per cent reduction in state generation outages over the past year.
The Electric Vehicle Council urged the federal government to expand the $11 billion Cheaper Home Batteries Program to include subsidies for bidirectional chargers. The proposal seeks to allow consumers to novate charger costs, leveraging vehicle to grid trials by Amber Electric, Origin and AGL to enhance grid stability and storage capacity. Amber Electric launched a vehicle to grid trial involving 64 customers and an 8,000 person waitlist. The trial is supported by $16.8 million in Australian Renewable Energy Agency funding and a BYD partnership. Participants used electric vehicle batteries to export 8,526 kWh to the grid in August, leveraging Amber’s wholesale price pass through model to monetise stored energy.
Fotowatio Renewable Ventures commissioned the 100 MW Terang battery in southwest Victoria. The 200 MWh facility is the developer's first operational standalone energy storage asset on the NEM and is integrated to provide grid stability and support renewable integration. Foresight Group reached financial close on the 130 MW Kondinin Wind Farm in the Western Australian Wheatbelt. The United Kingdom based investment manager obtained $430 million in debt financing after acquiring Shell Energy’s 50 per cent interest in the project, paving the way for construction to begin.
Energy Vault received approval for its 125 MW Stoney Creek battery in Narrabri from the New South Wales Government. Energy Vault also received planning approval for a separate 500 MW battery in New South Wales. TagEnergy submitted a proposal for a 1,000 MW battery project in Victoria. WattClarity estimated that Project EnergyConnect Stage 2 capacity began appearing in predispatch schedules as of late September 2026, signaling the progression of the interconnector's phased integration.
NEM spot prices averaged $62.70/MWh. South Australia recorded the highest regional average at $87.80/MWh and the highest price of $143/MWh at 23:50. New South Wales recorded the demand peak of 8,741 MW at 18:20. Renewables supplied 51.2 per cent of energy with an instantaneous peak of 78.8 per cent at 11:45, while batteries discharged 15,528 MWh.
Brent Crude fell 4.3 per cent to US$98.16 a barrel. TTF Gas rose 3.3 per cent to EUR72.11/MWh.
AER issued a draft decision allowing Powerlink $5,694.1 million in revenue for the 2027 to 2032 period. The regulator approved Jemena's 2026 to 2031 Electricity Pricing and Services Plan. The market operator submitted its perspective on the evolving planning landscape to the ISP Review. Submissions close on 28 October for the market operator's AEPC 2026 17 discussion paper. Submissions close on 11 November for the market operator's project assessment draft report on maintaining supply reliability at Atherton Tablelands and Cairns. Submissions close on 12 November for the regulator's consultation on proposed waivers for Essential Energy’s islandable microgrids sandbox trial.