Rachel Williamson, Author at Renew Economy

Rachel Williamson

Contributor

Rachel Williamson is a science and business journalist, who focuses on climate change-related health and environmental issues.

Electrification

Electrifying big apartment buildings is complex, but huge cost savings from ditching gas justify the pain
A Melbourne project to assess apartment buildings’ electrification potential suggests that technically it’s doable but power supply is a real issue.
Rachel Williamson

Oct 7, 2026

6
Renewables

Giga-scale Pilbara wind and solar project seeks to pass final planning hurdle
First Nations group behind several giga-scale renewables projects launches DA for its latest huge wind and solar proposal.
Rachel Williamson

Oct 6, 2026

1
Policy & Planning

Australia pledges $13 million to help Pacific nations quit diesel, switch to renewables and electrify
Australia dedicates $13 million to help Pacific nations to electrify and transition to renewables as countries across the region race to switch from costly and polluting fossil fuel imports.
Rachel Williamson

Oct 6, 2026

5
Storage

Australia’s biggest coal generator set to be replaced by the world’s biggest battery
Origin Energy seeks approval for new addition to its Eraring battery that would take the total size to 1200 MW and 8600 MWh, easily the biggest in the country.
Rachel Williamson

Oct 5, 2026

3
Policy & Planning

Not a “dealbreaker:” Big Victorian wind project doesn’t need VNI West
The Macorna wind project will have a simpler ride through state planning, and insists it is still viable even if the proposes VNI West transmission line is not built.
Rachel Williamson

Oct 4, 2026

10
Policy & Planning

“Deeply disappointing:” State blocks gas connection rule made to protect consumers from death spiral
South Australia Labor decides not to make consumers pay for gas installations up front, declaring that discouraging the use of gas in home is not a policy it supports.
Rachel Williamson

Oct 2, 2026

4
Policy & Planning

Victoria knocks down planning hurdles for contentious transmission project in “gazetting blitzkrieg”
Development process rolls on for 190 km transmission project as state planning minister moves to exempt the project from council planning requirements.
Rachel Williamson

Oct 1, 2026

2
Storage

Developer of first solar farm on Australia’s main grid completes its first stand-alone battery project
New battery is one of two that received funding to provide grid-forming inverters, and is the first standalone battery for company that built the NEM’s first grid-scale solar farm.
Rachel Williamson

Sep 30, 2026

0
Renewables

Huge landowner-led wind project seeks green tick, despite looming threat to transmission link
A landowner-led wind farm is seeking state and federal environmental approvals, but could struggle to proceed if a hotly contested transmission line doesn’t go ahead.
Rachel Williamson

Sep 22, 2026

3
Policy & Planning

Victorian Labor toes federal line on BYO renewables for data centres, Coalition still pushing gas
Victorian Labor says it will adopt the proposed federal Labor mandate and require future data centre developers to bring their own renewable energy and storage if re-elected in November.
Rachel Williamson

Sep 22, 2026

1
Renewables

Rare wind, solar and battery hybrid seeks environmental approvals in new renewables hotspot
New wind, solar and battery hybrid project seeks environmental approval near a wheatbelt town emerging as the latest hotspot for renewable energy projects.
Rachel Williamson

Sep 22, 2026

1
Policy & Planning

Local utility gets green light to replace remote town’s diesel and gas power with a solar-battery hybrid
EPBC waves through one of a series of renewable energy projects being built to wean remote WA towns off diesel fuel generation and power them with solar and battery storage.
Rachel Williamson

Sep 21, 2026

1