Chanticleer Albo’s White House win, Santos’ public bust-up & the problem with our rooftop solar spree
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Oct 24, 2025 Angela McDonald-Smith, energy editor at The Australian Financial Review, brings insightful analysis on Australia’s energy challenges. She discusses the rapid uptake of rooftop solar and the bottlenecks in virtual power plants hindering its potential. With a staggering 52GW of renewable projects in the pipeline, Angela outlines the obstacles in approvals and financing. The conversation also tackles Australia’s domestic gas shortage and the intricate balance between energy demands and grid stability amid rising data center energy usage.
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Santos Leadership Drama Signals Deeper Issues
- Sherry Dewey's refusal to sign an NDA revealed deep leadership clashes at Santos and undermined board credibility.
- The episode exposed how executive departures often hide culture and succession problems that investors must scrutinise.
Platforms Tighten Criteria After Shield Collapse
- Macquarie's move to limit platform funds to managers with huge AUM highlights tighter due diligence after platform failures like Shield.
- This signals a potential shake-up in platforms and a renewed focus on institutional credibility.
Rare Earths A Strategic State-Backed Market
- The US-Australia rare earths framework aims to reduce Chinese dominance by underwriting projects and Western pricing.
- Governments will use heavy subsidies and guarantees to seed a non-Chinese supply chain for strategic minerals.