Australia’s clean energy stall and what it tells us about reform at scale
- artmcgee
- Oct 29
- 3 min read
The Clean Energy Regulator has just published figures showing not a single large scale renewable energy project reached financial close in the third quarter of 2025.
Financial close (the point where a project has secured all necessary financing, approvals and contracts to begin construction) is a lead indicator of upcoming renewable energy capacity. It is now at its lowest level in nearly a decade.
This is a clear signal about the state of Australia’s clean energy transition.
Several forces are contributing to the stall:
Transmission bottlenecks limiting new grid connections
Delays in environmental approvals while the Federal Government overhauls the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
Coordination challenges across federal, state and local planning processes
Community pushback to new wind and solar developments, often around land use and visual impact
Rising construction and financing costs, combined with investor hesitation until policy and regulatory settings are clearer.
While these issues are specific to the energy sector, they reflect a broader truth: major reform often slows when policy ambition meets the complexity of delivery.
A familiar pattern beyond energy
While the details may differ, this dynamic plays out similarly across many industries going through major reform. We achieve broad consensus on the goal, in this case to decarbonise and replace ageing coal generation. But once implementation begins and application becomes localised, that consensus is no longer enough to drive momentum.
Delivery is weighed down by competing land uses, lengthy approvals, cost escalation and uncertainty. Stakeholders who support the transition in principle may oppose specific projects that affect their communities.
Transport infrastructure provides a familiar example as general agreement on the need for better connectivity gives way to years of delay as routes are contested and environmental concerns mount.
The care economy is likely next. As industry reforms in aged care, the NDIS and hospital systems deepen, delivery will test coordination, capability and community confidence.
Across these sectors, the pattern repeats: momentum builds around the idea of reform, then slows once delivery begins. Achieving consensus turns out to be the easy part.
Managing within uncertainty
For the clean energy rollout, large scale levers such as grid investment, approval reform and better coordination between jurisdictions are already in motion. But change at this scale takes time to show results. The same will be true for other complex reform efforts.
For leaders, this means operating in an environment where systems are uncertain but decisions still matter. You cannot control reform timelines, but you can control how your organisation responds:
Build internal capability and insight. Strengthen understanding of how major reforms and policy shifts intersect with your organisation’s operations, costs and risk profile.
Plan for multiple futures. Test strategies and investments against a range of delivery and policy scenarios, not just the preferred one.
Engage early and constructively. Take part in industry, regional or sector forums to anticipate change, share insights and contribute to workable solutions.
These are key first steps to ensuring you business is as resilient and adaptable as possible.
How Implement can help
At Implement, we help organisations find clarity within uncertainty. We work with our clients to deliver efficiency, growth, and transformation projects that navigate complexity and achieve lasting results.
Momentum in complex systems rarely disappears; it redistributes. The organisations that stay informed and ready are the ones that move first when the next phase begins.
If your organisation is navigating reform and preparing for what comes next, we’d be happy to start the conversation.
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