The pipeline of new projects connecting to the National Electricity Market (NEM) reached a record 64 gigawatts (GW) in the December 2025 quarter, a quarterly increase of 7.4 GW, or 14%, since the September quarter.
Each quarter, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) tracks new generation and storage projects progressing through the NEM connection process – from initial application to full output – through its Connections Scorecard.
AEMO Onboarding & Connections Group Manager Margarida Pimentel said the December quarter demonstrated strong progress across every stage of the connections process, from application approvals through to projects reaching full output.
“These results highlight both the maturity of the pipeline and the sector’s increasing capability to deliver,” Ms Pimentel said.
“The ongoing increase to 64 GW in the connections pipeline shows that confidence in Australia’s renewable energy transition remains strong, with new applications activity rising from 20 GW to 26 GW,” she said.
During the quarter, 3.8 GW of applications across 18 projects were approved, while 1.9 GW of plant across 10 projects was registered and connected to the NEM, enabling these projects to move into the final stages of commissioning and operational readiness.
Importantly, 1.8 GW of new generation and storage capacity progressed through commissioning to reach full output during the quarter, joining the NEM.
“Reaching 1.8 GW of new plant at full output this quarter is a significant achievement and underlines the collaborative effort between project proponents, network service providers and AEMO in progressing new infrastructure safely and efficiently,” Ms Pimentel said.
This total comprised nine projects: two solar farms – the 350 MW Culcairn Solar Farm and the 120 MW Munna Creek Solar Farm – and seven battery projects: Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub (600 MW), Tarong BESS (300 MW), Brendale BESS (205 MW), Templers BESS (111 MW) and Smithfield BESS (65 MW).
Battery storage continues to dominate the 64 GW investment pipeline, accounting for nearly half of all projects (46%). This is followed by hybrid solar and battery projects (19.7%), wind (16%), solar (11.9%), hydro (4.7%) and gas (1.4%).
“The growth in battery storage will complement renewable generation by storing low‑cost, low‑emissions electricity during the day for release to support demand during the evening peak,” Ms Pimentel said.
ENDS