Australia Launches $5B Clean Energy Tender

Australia is betting big on sunshine and wind, and the payoff could light up the entire nation with clean energy.

The federal government just launched Tender 9 under its Capacity Investment Scheme, inviting companies to compete for contracts to build 5 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity. That's enough power to run roughly 2 million homes.

AusEnergy Services, which runs the program for the government, has already mapped out where the power will go. Tasmania gets 300 megawatts, while Victoria receives 1.6 gigawatts (though only 470 megawatts can come from solar-only projects). The remaining 3.1 gigawatts will likely head to Queensland or South Australia.

What makes this tender special is its commitment to Indigenous communities. A dedicated 500 megawatts is reserved for projects that give First Nations partners at least 5% equity or revenue sharing. This ensures Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples benefit directly from renewable energy built on their ancestral lands.

To qualify, projects must generate at least 30 megawatts and prove they can start operating before 2030 ends. Companies have until July 6 to register, with winners announced in November.

The Ripple Effect

The program is already transforming Australia's energy landscape. Since launching, the Capacity Investment Scheme has signed agreements with 74 solar, wind, and battery storage projects totaling nearly 25 gigawatts of generation and 35 gigawatt-hours of storage across the main electricity market. In Western Australia alone, another 14 renewable projects are underway.

The timing couldn't be better. As Tender 9 opens, the government is announcing winners from Tender 7, which aims to deliver 26 gigawatts of renewable generation and 14 gigawatts of clean backup power by 2030. Meanwhile, Tender 8 results for 4 gigawatts of backup capacity drop next month, and Tender 10 opens shortly after.

This cascade of clean energy investment means jobs for construction workers, engineers, and technicians across multiple states. It means cleaner air for communities near coal plants. And it means Australia moves closer to a future where flipping a light switch doesn't cost the Earth.

The path to 2030 is taking shape, one tender at a time.