All(um)in(ium) or nothing

In this Weekly Dispatch:

1. AEMO released the 2026 Gas Statement of Opportunities (GSOO) for the East Coast Gast Market, finding improved near-term supply conditions.
2. IEA says second round of emergency fuel releases is on table with world leaders failing to grasp the depth of the energy crisis, saying it has dwarfed the fuel crises of the 1970s.
3. The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) calls for Australia to reduce its exposure to oil shocks, having the lowest reserves out of all International Energy Agency (IEA) members.
4. The Queensland and federal governments will each invest $1 billion to help Rio Tinto’s Boyne aluminium smelter transition to renewable energy.
5. Australia’s diesel standards will be lowered for six months.
6. Synergy has entered Power Purchase Agreements with two wind farms.
7. In response to the ongoing geopolitical crisis in the Middle East, the Japanese government has decided to ramp up the use of “inefficient” coal power plants, for a temporary one-year period of FY2026.
8. Paywalled: NSW government is seeking a similar deal (as Rio Tinto above) with the federal government to rescue Tomago smelter.
9. Podcast of the week: Let Me Sum Up chat about measures to reduce impacts on households due to the energy crisis and PHEVs.