Alternative energy comes to the rescue

As global instability and fuel insecurity deepen under Trump’s escalating conflict, Australia’s vast wind and solar resources are emerging as the country’s most reliable route to energy resilience, writes Dr Norm Sanders.

It’s EASY to despair as we watch US President Trump carelessly unleash a wrecking ball that disrupts the world order.

Trump’s stance is as follows: Marie Antoinettelegendary “Let them eat cake” Answer when asked about bread shortage French Revolution.

President Trump made statements on the issue Real Social He said the United States is not worried about oil shortages because the country’s own supply is “abundant.” Embers recommended alliesespecially in England “go buy your own oils” He claimed that the USA would no longer do this, claiming that they would either buy the Strait of Hormuz from the USA or secure it themselves. “Save them”. (Conveniently ignoring the fact that he started the war in the first place.)

But there is light at the end of the tunnel and it gets brighter by the day. Trump’s war has shown Australia must stop importing fuel from long distances using vulnerable supply chains. The Bass Strait oil fields are almost exhausted and here are the new developments: Taroom Boat There will be no production in Queensland for at least five years.

Of course there is a lot of natural gas in Australia, but we need liquid fuel right now. The other problem is that both political parties have given up most of our fuel. Australia is ranked as the world’s third largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), consistently competing with the US and Qatar for the top spot. (Trump eliminated Qatar from the race with his recent blockade.)

But politicians have yet to find a way to sell off Australia’s vast wind and solar resources.

Some would do it if they had the chance. The then Liberal Energy Minister, Angus TaylorI thought you were there lots of wind and sun on Australia’s network in 2018. Since renewable energy has come to the fore, we haven’t heard much from him on the subject lately.

In just the last three months of 2025, nine wind and solar projects added 2.1 gigawatts (GW) of new electricity generation capacity to the grid and 1 GW, 2.3 gigawatt hours (GWh) of battery storage, according to the report. latest data From the Clean Energy Council (MSK).

The report notes that more renewable energy was “turned on” in the final months of 2025 than in any other quarter on record, well short of the previous record (1.3 GW added in the third quarter of 2021).

The Albanian Government is spending billions of dollars on alternative energy projects. This was happening before Trump’s war, but now it’s more urgent. According to a recent news Press releaseThe government is actively funding and implementing policies to support solar and wind energy as part of a broader “Future Made in Australia” strategy; significant investments are announced by early 2026.

Key initiatives and funding as of April/May 2026 include:

• $6.15 Billion Package (April 2026): The government has provided $6.15 billion in funding to support businesses with decarbonisation and supply chain resilience. This includes:

  • $5 Billion Net Zero Fund: Supporting production and energy efficiency, including solar, wind and storage projects.
  • $1 Billion Economic Resilience Program: Providing zero-interest loans for critical supply chains.

• 1 Billion Dollar Solar Sunshot Program: It was announced that Australia’s solar energy production capacity will be increased by providing $550 million for production projects, focusing on solar panel production and supply chains.
• $500 Million for Wind and Clean Energy Generation (February 2025): A $500 million investment to finance wind tower manufacturing and other clean energy components such as batteries and electrolyzers.
• $25 Million Solar Initiative for Apartments (February 2025): Funded in partnership with the NSW Government to assist flat owners with shared rooftop solar installation.
• $2 Billion for Clean Energy Finance Corporation (January 2025): Additional funding to increase investment in renewable technologies and help businesses and households switch to cleaner energy.
• $840 Million for Critical Minerals (March 2024): Funding to support a rare earth mine and refinery in the Northern Territory, vital for the production of renewable technologies such as wind turbines and EV engines.
• $45 Million for Faster Approvals (May 2026): Investment to accelerate environmental approvals for environmental and renewable projects.

The government is pushing to increase domestic production of renewable components to reduce dependence on imports and create jobs, especially in regions previously dependent on coal-fired electricity. While the government has significantly increased investment in renewables, some reports suggest new funding measures may be limited to focusing on existing initiatives in the upcoming May 2026 Budget.

Australia is using solar and wind power to replace coal-fired plants if they go offline due to fuel shortages or aging coal stations becoming increasingly unreliable. Renewable energy (including solar, wind and storage) currently powers a large portion of the grid. These alternative energy sources often provide more than 45 percent of total power. At the same time, the availability of coal power plants has fallen to record levels.

“Robust” renewable energies are vital to the emerging industry. This involves pairing solar and wind with storage technologies such as batteries and pumped hydropower. Massive batteries, including a $200 million battery, are currently under construction. Brendale battery in Queensland.

These batteries are charged during the day and discharged in the evening or whenever needed due to high demand. Grid-scale battery storage is expanding rapidly, with discharge capacity tripling by early 2026 compared to the previous year. Australian Energy Market Operator He developed models showing that 100 percent renewable energy with adequate transmission connections (power lines) could provide the same level of reliability as the current system.