The Queensland Renewable Energy Council has welcomed the Queensland Competition Authority’s 2026–27 regional electricity price determination, which confirms lower power prices for regional households and small businesses from 1 July.
QREC Chief Executive Officer Katie-Anne Mulder said the determination showed renewable energy and battery storage projects were already playing an important role in reducing wholesale electricity costs.
“The clear message from these electricity price cuts for regional Queensland is – ‘renewables are delivering, low cost, modern energy generation,’” Ms Mulder said.
“The QCA’s determination is welcome news for regional households and small businesses, and it reinforces that more renewable energy and battery storage means more downward pressure on wholesale electricity prices.
“The Australian Energy Regulator found renewables and battery storage helped underpin lower default market offer prices for electricity consumers in south-east Queensland and the QCA’s determination now points in the same direction for regional Queensland.
“This is practical cost-of-living relief, supported by the generation and storage projects Queensland needs to deliver a more affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity system.”
QREC’s submission to the QCA highlighted that the forecast price reductions were materially driven by lower wholesale energy costs and were contingent on the near-term generation and storage projects assumed in the ACIL Allen Reference Case underpinning the QCA’s energy cost modelling.
Ms Mulder said the Queensland Government should now focus on ensuring the renewable energy and battery projects identified in the modelling are delivered on schedule.
“The price benefits identified by the QCA will only be secured if the projects assumed in the ACIL Allen Reference Case are actually built, connected and operating,” Ms Mulder said.
“That means Queensland must turn its renewable energy pipeline into delivered projects.”
ACIL Allen lists more than 20 projects with a combined installed capacity of more than 5000 megawatts (MW).
“Wind, solar and battery projects can help regional Queensland households and small businesses pay less for power, but only if governments, regulators, network businesses, local councils, landholders, communities and project proponents continue to work together,” Ms Mulder said.
“The Queensland Government’s Energy Roadmap and Investor Gateway provide an important framework to attract private investment, support Power Purchase Agreements and give the market confidence to deliver the next wave of renewable energy and storage projects.
“To maximise future savings, the Government should prioritise efficient planning assessments, timely network connections, workable community benefit agreement frameworks and clear investment signals for the projects already assumed in the QCA’s price modelling.”
“Lower prices are not automatic – they depend on getting generation, storage, transmission and community engagement right.
“If Queensland wants to lock in future electricity savings, projects must move from modelling to construction, connection and generation — delivering real outcomes for households and businesses.”
“Queenslanders are also playing their part, with rooftop solar and battery systems helping to ease demand on the grid and contribute to a more resilient and affordable energy system.”
View QCA Final Report: Regulated electricity prices for regional Queensland 2026–27