Post: Energy a key battleground for 2025 election

Energy a key battleground for 2025 election

Australia will hold an election on May 3, and energy security has become a key issue. Here we summarise the main party’s energy policies.  

Labour

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s key energy package aims to address living costs and the climate. It wants to cut carbon emissions by 43% from 2005 levels by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050, replacing coal-fired power stations with wind and solar, backed up by gas, hydropower and energy storage.

The plan notes that a re-elected Albanese Labor Government will deliver more cheap, clean reliable renewable energy to get our energy grid to 82% renewables by 2030. $8B of additional investment in renewable energy and low emissions technologies will also be unlocked through a $2B expansion of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

A re-elected Albanese Labor Government will also seek to make batteries cheaper, slashing energy bills for households, small businesses and community facilities by up to 90% and rollout $2.3B Cheaper Home Batteries Program from 1 July 2025 reducing the cost of a typical installed battery by 30 per cent – with over one million new batteries expected by 2030.

The government last year released a long-term strategy that committed to gas as an energy source to 2050 and beyond. The strategy also assured trading partners that “Australia is, and will remain, a reliable trading partner for energy,” including LNG.

Liberal-National Coalition

The Liberal-National Coalition, led by Peter Dutton, has promised to “deliver cheaper energy through our balanced energy plan, including renewables, gas and  zero-emissions nuclear”.

Its policy of “Australian gas for Australians”, aims to bring down gas and electricity costs and ensure retiring coal generation is replaced by reliable baseload energy. The party has proposed to require the country’s east coast LNG exporters to sell a portion of their uncontracted gas into the domestic market, with fines for non-compliance. The coalition will also support the gas industry by cutting “red and green tape” for new projects, including halving approval timeframes and fast-tracking a decision on extending the life of Woodside’s North West Shelf LNG plant. The party has also pledged to increase investment in gas power generation, pipeline and storage projects and “strategic basins” including the Beetaloo and Narrabri for eastern Australia.

To help replace coal-fired power, the coalition wants the government to establish a civil nuclear program in Australia, including operating nuclear power plants in seven locations across the country.

Greens

The Greens climate targets are for a 75% reduction on 2005 levels by 2030 and for net-zero emissions by 2035 and the party proposes phasing out fossil fuels by banning all new coal and gas projects, cancelling exploration permits and blocking expansions of current projects, including the North West Shelf LNG plant. A moratorium would be introduced on new coal, oil and gas projects and the introduction of a clear schedule for coal plant closures and a transition out of thermal coal by 2030. LNG export terminals would be transformed into hydrogen and ammonia hubs to free up domestic gas supply and support the transition to net-zero emissions.

Households would be given grants and low-interest loans to disconnect from gas and install electric appliances. The party would also double rooftop solar and target a six-fold increase in storage technologies by “tapping our underutilised urban potential”. This would be facilitated by grants and loans schemes to get homes and businesses to electrify and store their rooftop solar; a $6B fund to cover public buildings with solar panels; and an extended Renewable Energy Target for large businesses to incentivise the installation of solar on their premises.

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