This week started with a landmark critical minerals deal with the US and ended with warnings the deal would fail to pay off if long awaited environmental planning reforms fail to pass parliament.

The sluggishness of the transition hit home this week as Origin Energy flagged greater volatility than anticipated, and a new report from the World Meteorological Agency showed carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere hit a record high in 2024.

Attention turned to Queensland this week with a federal government bailout for Glencore’s Mount Isa copper smelter, and the release of the state’s new energy roadmap.

This week saw the closure timeline for Queensland’s largest coal-fired power station brought forward, and the life of a South Australian gas fired power station extended,  as quarterly grid data showed the transition was still a story of one step forward, two steps back.

Climate news dominated this week as Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made his pitch for Australia to host COP31, and US President Donald Trump took his ‘green energy scam’ remarks to the UN General Assembly.

This week started with a dire warning on the costs to Australia’s people and property of climate change, and ended with a new Net Zero Plan from the government pledging to cut emissions by between 62 and 70% by 2035.

Each Saturday, the Energy Week delivers a concise and insightful summary of the key stories from Australia's dynamic energy sector in around 5 minutes. We cut through the noise to deliver the biggest developments in policy, technology, and project investment.