Australia's Energy Transition Crossroads: Coal Closure Doubts, Grid Oversight Tightened, and Capital Flows Into Renewables

Federal and state governments are tightening oversight of the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) after a review found budget scrutiny hadn't kept pace with the agency's expanding powers. AEMO — established in 2009 to manage the electricity and gas grids and funded indirectly via power bills — has seen its budget balloon alongside the energy transition. A government review now recommends regular cost audits and greater scrutiny of its operations, a move that signals growing...