Australia’s renewable energy sector finished 2025 with a record-breaking final quarter, according to the Clean Energy Council’s (CEC) latest quarterly investment report.
Key findings include that Q4 2025 has outperformed all other quarters on record for commissioned renewable generation projects, as nine wind and solar farms were switched on, totalling 2.1GW of new capacity.
This coincides with the AEMO’s latest quarterly report applauding a ‘milestone’ moment for Australia’s energy market as renewables surged past the halfway market for the first time, driving new lower prices.
Renewables, including energy storage, delivered 51 per cent of overall supply, up from 46 per cent in Q4 2024, with generation records broken across the sector including roof-top solar.
The CEC report found 63 per cent of 2025’s total operating capacity was delivered in the final quarter of the year. Australia’s battery surge continued outside the home, with utility-scale batteries also setting a record and adding 1GW/2.3GWh of new capacity in Q4 2025.
The final quarter of 2025 also saw an uptick in renewable generation investment, with five projects (1.2 GW) worth $3.5 billion reaching financial close – an uplift from more subdued investment in the prior three quarters.
While the end of 2025 finished stronger than it started, the CEC believes much work remains to be done to stimulate investment in large-scale renewable energy generation to keep Australia’s handover from coal to renewables on track. The CEC said this means streamlining planning and approvals processes and ensuring critical transmission infrastructure is built to get projects connected to the national electricity market.
