The Weekly Dispatch – Budgeting for the Future and Transmission Transformation

In this edition of the Weekly Dispatch:

The 2023-24 Federal Budget includes measures that focus on:
- Funding for auctions for the Capacity Investment Scheme in South Australia, Victoria and NSW (in partnership with the Roadmap) later this year;
- Growing the hydrogen industry through the $2 bn Hydrogen Headstart Program and the Guarantee of Origin Scheme;
- Achieving net zero ambitions by establishing the Net Zero Authority (see 2 below) and changes to the Safeguard Mechanism; and
- Affordability for consumers through the Energy Bill Relief Plan which provides payments up to $500 to eligible households and small businesses. Payments will be automatically applied by retailers to customers receiving concessions and rebates. Other eligible customers will be contacted in September.

However, some items that may have been missed in the wave of Budget coverage are $4.7 bn earmarked to unlock NSW transmission and $1.5 bn towards Tasmania’s BOTN project. These items will be funded through the $20 bn Rewiring the Nation plan.

The Commonwealth Government has announced a Net Zero Authority which will help workers in emissions-intensive industries retrain and assist communities in attracting clean energy investment.
“Transformers are like trust—months or years to build, seconds or minutes to destroy.”
Farhad Billimoria and Conleigh Byers deliver a masterclass on market design on Public Power Underground (an early contender for podcast episode of the year). Rob Gramlich on the US transmission bottleneck on Catalyst and the promise of VPPs on The Energy Transition Show.
The AEMC has published the final report for the Transmission Planning and Investment Review.
Endgame is recruiting for interns. Applications close soon. Contact us at careers@endgame-economics.com