The Queensland Government has unveiled its energy roadmap, providing greater clarity on the future of coal and gas across the state.
Under the plan, coal has been described as helping to underpin “affordable and reliable energy supply for as long as needed”, with state-owned coal assets continuing to play an important role in balancing supply and demand.
Coal-fired generation has been earmarked as critical for affordable and reliable energy supply across Queensland.
In 2025, the state has approximately eight gigawatts (GW) of coal-fired generation capacity owned and operated by state government-owned corporations and the state’s private sector, supplying more than 60 per cent of total output.
Over time, the reliance on coal to meet the state’s electricity demands will be influenced by ongoing system need, asset integrity, and economic viability, including the pace of private sector investment.
“Queensland’s coal-fired fleet is the youngest in the country and state-owned coal generators will continue to operate for as long as they are needed in the system and supported by the market,” Queensland Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Minister for Home Ownership David Janetzki said.
“This is an economic solution that places downward pressure on prices for households, businesses, and industry, while ensuring developers have the confidence to plan for the future,” Janetzki said.
“We’re laying the groundwork for private capital to flow into new energy infrastructure, unlocking economic growth and ensuring Queensland remains competitive in an evolving energy market.”
The energy roadmap also includes a $400 million investment to drive private sector investment in new energy generation projects, funding of $1.6 billion to improve the state’s current energy assets and greater establishment of clean energy infrastructure to drive down energy costs for Queensland residents.
The roadmap is described by the Queensland Government as “sensible and pragmatic” to meet energy needs and is said to reduce energy system costs for taxpayers by $26 billion to 2035.
