Daniel Mercer is the Energy Reporter for the ABC's National, Regional and Rural Team. He's been a journalist since 2007 covering politics and business, with a particular focus on energy and resources.
Consumer advocates are calling for an overhaul of the market mechanism that allows wholesale power prices in Australia’s biggest grid to soar to the highest levels in the world.
Renewable energy advocates are urging the West Australian government to throw more of its weight behind rooftop solar and batteries, saying the state is running out of time to replace coal with large-scale green power projects.
As Australia's energy transition hits turbulence, a quiet but fundamental shift is underway.
Electric vehicles are sometimes called batteries on wheels, because the amount of energy stored in a typical EV could run a home for days.
EV batteries have the potential to power a household for days and could even play a part in our future electricity grid. But not everyone supports the technology.
For the first time, battery sales in Australia have surpassed sales of solar panels. Now retail giant Bunnings wants a piece of the action.
Electricity use is at record highs and now some experts are worried we may be unprepared for the scale of demand that's coming.
Australian power demand rose relentlessly until 2008, when it stopped growing. That record has finally been eclipsed, and experts say it is a sign of things to come.
It's been almost five years since a major gas project in Western Australia was controversially given an exemption from the state's onshore gas export ban.
A gas development backed by media mogul Kerry Stokes has been tapping into Western Australia's domestic gas market to supply overseas customers amid long delays in the delivery of the plant.
For so long a mere dream for its advocates and board riders, an artificial reef on WA's south coast is delivering near-perfect waves.
The Victorian Government this week raised eyebrows when it walked back from a pledge to ban new gas connections in households.
The Victorian Government this week raised eyebrows when it walked back from a pledge to ban new gas connections in households.
Australian households are using less gas, with some getting off the fuel entirely. And that changes the whole business model for gas pipelines in a way that could see consumers paying more.
The extraordinary failure of Spain's entire electricity system in April sparked furious debate over the energy transition. But what caused the blackout?
One of Western Australia's biggest gas-fired power plants is battling to avoid bankruptcy, fuelling worries its failure could spark a wider crisis in the state's electricity system.
Businesses are being hit by eye-watering electricity price hikes of up to 50 per cent or more, prompting warnings some could be sent to the wall — and sparking doubts about WA's coal shutdown plans.
For all of Australia's success with the adoption of rooftop solar, an enduring problem has been the lack of access to the technology by renters, those living in apartments and the disadvantaged.
For all of Australia's success with the adoption of rooftop solar, an enduring problem has been the lack of access to the technology by renters, those living in apartments and the disadvantaged.
For all Australia's success in adopting rooftop solar, millions of people are missing out. Now a new trial is aiming to overcome that divide through trading.
When all the hype and the fury are stripped away, the decision to extend the life of the gigantic North West Shelf LNG plant boils down to one thing — enabling the Browse gas project off the Kimberley coast.
Demand for household batteries in Australia is on the cusp of an explosion, and new data suggest most people are motivated by personal considerations.
One of the most striking aspects of Australia's energy transition has been the leading role played by households… which have adopted solar and batteries with gusto.
In the rush to install ever more solar and, now, batteries on people's homes, one consumer warns of the risks of giving control to big energy.
Our energy system is evolving at breakneck speed. Here we look at how our power grid works, what more renewables mean for energy prices, how nuclear fits into the picture, and how we might build a grid fit for the future.
Topic:Explainer