Australia adds record 9.1GW of energy capacity in FY26

Wind projects hit a record 5.2GW in applications.

Australia added a record 9.1GW of new generation and storage capacity to the National Electricity Market (NEM) in the 2026 financial year, more than double the FY25 total, according to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).

The overall project pipeline expanded 42% year-on-year to 75.4GW, up from 53GW in FY25, driven by record wind project applications and continued growth in battery storage.

During the year, AEMO approved 14.2GW of project applications and 7.4GW of registrations. Although both figures were slightly lower than FY25, the application stage more than doubled, whilst the developer-led proponent implementation stage expanded 30%.

Wind investment reached a record level, with AEMO receiving 12 wind project applications totalling 5.2GW in FY26, the highest annual volume on record.

However, the operator flagged increasing delivery challenges. Whilst 14.4GW of projects entered the proponent implementation stage, only 6.4GW progressed through it. The median duration of the phase increased from 14 months to 18 months, with one-third of projects remaining in the stage for more than two years.

AEMO attributed the delays to project design changes, equipment substitutions, ownership transfers, financing timelines and commercial readiness activities.

In the June quarter alone, 14 projects with a combined 3.9GW reached full output, whilst eight projects totalling 1.5GW achieved registration. A quarterly record of 32 project applications, representing 6.9GW of capacity, were also approved.

Battery projects continued to dominate the pipeline, accounting for 52% of total capacity and progressing through the connection process faster than other technologies.

Hybrid solar and battery developments also gained momentum, with 4.3GW of applications submitted during FY26.

A further 2.4GW of existing solar projects either began or completed the process of adding battery energy storage systems (BESS).