Cleaning Up: Leadership in an Age of Climate Change

Is Australia Finally Turning Its Back on Coal? Lily D'Ambrosio | Deep Dive Australia 04

July 20, 2026·51 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

Victoria is undertaking one of Australia's most ambitious electricity transitions. The state is aiming for 65% renewable electricity by 2030 and 95% by 2035, replacing ageing coal-fired power stations with renewable electricity, batteries and offshore wind while keeping the lights on and consumers' bills down. This week on Cleaning Up’s Deep Dive Australia, Michael Liebreich is joined by Lily D'Ambrosio, Victoria's Minister for Climate Action, Energy and the State Electricity Commission, who has overseen the state's energy transition for more than a decade. Together Minister D’Ambrosio and Michael examine the policies driving the transition, from renewable energy auctions and large-scale batteries, to offshore wind and transmission planning. Michael also challenges the Minister on some of the most controversial aspects of Victoria's strategy, including unpublished modelling, coal closure agreements, and the politics of moving households away from gas. Topics: Victoria's energy transition and the role of state governments Replacing coal with renewables Batteries, electricity markets and falling wholesale prices Coal plant closures and investor certainty Transparency, modelling and political accountability Transmission, community opposition and Renewable Energy Zones Offshore wind and the future generation mix Gas, household electrification and cost of living Leadership, public confidence and delivering the transition Leadership Circle: Cleaning Up is proud to be supported by its Leadership Circle. The members are Actis, Alcazar Energy, Arup, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Cygnum Capital, Davidson Kempner, Ecopragma Capital, EDP, Eurelectric, the Gilardini Foundation, KKR, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, National Grid, Octopus Energy, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Schneider Electric, SDCL and Wärtsilä. For more information about the Leadership Circle, visit cleaningup.live Links: Lily D’Ambrosio’s bio: https://www.victorianchamber.com.au/profile/lily-dambrosio Sign up to our newsletter: https://cleaninguppod.substack.com EnergyAustralia: https://www.energyaustralia.com.au/ AGL: https://www.agl.com.au/  VicGrid: https://www.vicgrid.com.au/ Western Renewable Link: https://www.westernrenewableslink.com.au/ Offshore wind: https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/offshore-wind-energy/offshore-wind-energy-victoria Gas substitution roadmap: https://www.energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/victorias-gas-substitution-roadmap Open Electricity: https://openelectricity.org.au/ Acronyms: CSIRO: Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organisation

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