QREC: “The focus now must be on accelerating renewables and unlocking private investment.”
The Queensland Renewable Energy Council (QREC) has welcomed the release of the Queensland Government’s Energy Roadmap, describing it as a pragmatic and important milestone in delivering a cleaner, more secure and affordable energy future for the State.
QREC Chief Executive Officer Katie-Anne Mulder said the Roadmap strikes a sensible balance between maintaining reliability and creating the conditions for large-scale renewable investment.
“Despite the decision to remove renewable energy targets, the Roadmap relies upon up to 6.8 gigawatts of new wind and solar and 3.8GW of storage by 2030,” she said.
“This is a pivotal step forward for Queensland,” Ms Mulder said. “The Roadmap keeps the lights on today while accelerating the renewables, storage and transmission needed for tomorrow.”
While the Government confirmed coal generation will remain part of Queensland’s energy mix for decades, consistent with existing commitments, Ms Mulder said the focus now must be on growing renewables as complementary, not competitive.
“The decision to extend coal assets reflects prior commitments,” she said. “What matters now is delivering on the promise to accelerate renewables, strengthen the grid and give investors the confidence to deploy capital in Queensland.”
QREC welcomed the $400 million Queensland Energy Investment Fund, managed by Queensland Investment Corporation (QIC), and the new Investor Gateway as strong signals that private capital will play a central role in delivering new generation and firming.
QREC will work with the Government on the development of new Renewable Energy Hubs, to replace Renewable Energy Zones, to coordinate developments.
“Queensland has billions of dollars in renewable projects ready to go,” Ms Mulder said. “What’s needed now is stable policy, coordinated transmission planning and timely approvals to bring them to life.”
She said the Roadmap’s success will also depend on how well it connects regional Queensland, agriculture and local businesses to the opportunities of clean energy.
“Renewables and agriculture will be working hand in glove. Regional partnerships will be key to ensuring the benefits of the energy transition are shared—through jobs, investment and long-term community benefits.”
QREC’s Queensland Renewables Growth and Investment Strategy, released in August 2025, projects that renewable energy could deliver $39 billion in new investment by 2035, $275 million in direct payments to landholders within five years, and more than 7,500 ongoing regional jobs.
Ms Mulder also welcomed the reaffirmation of the CopperString transmission project, calling it essential to unlocking North and North-West Queensland’s renewable and critical minerals potential.
“Queenslanders expect affordable, reliable and sustainable energy,” she said. “The best way to achieve that is through a roadmap that accelerates renewables, strengthens regional economies and positions Queensland at the forefront of global clean energy investment.”