Energy Insiders - a RenewEconomy Podcast AGL's struggle with coal
Aug 29, 2025
Damien Nicks, CEO of AGL, discusses the challenges of transitioning from coal to renewables at Australia’s largest coal generator. He outlines AGL's climate strategy and the balancing act of reliability and sustainability. Nicks shares insights on innovative battery technologies, the importance of wind farm financing, and upcoming projects. He also highlights AGL’s investment in electric homes and the necessity for strong policies to support pumped hydro development, as well as the evolving landscape of Australia’s renewable energy sector.
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Dual Strategy: Customer Electrification And Portfolio Rebuild
- AGL is rebuilding its generation portfolio while electrifying customers and investing heavily in batteries.
- Damien Nicks stresses balancing reliability, affordability and rapid deployment across diverse technologies.
Connection And Planning As The Bottleneck
- Wind and solar are constrained mainly by slow planning and transmission connections, not lack of intent.
- AGL says accelerating permitting and connection is essential to close coal plants sooner.
Near-Term Battery Pipeline Targets
- AGL expects to take FID on ~900 MW more batteries in 12–18 months, split across Queensland and NSW.
- The company views batteries as immediate, modular firming capacity that supports faster renewables uptake.