Daniel Mercer is ABC News’ senior energy correspondent specializing in infrastructure policy and climate resilience. Based in Sydney, his reporting combines technical analysis of energy systems with ground-level assessments of community impacts.
"Australia’s energy transition isn’t just about megawatts and policy papers – it’s about how real people keep the lights on during bushfires and floods."
With multiple award nominations and a track record of impactful investigations, Mercer remains essential reading for policymakers, energy professionals, and communities navigating Australia’s complex energy landscape.
Daniel Mercer has established himself as a leading voice in Australian energy journalism through a career spanning over 15 years. Beginning as a general news reporter at West Australian Newspapers in 2009, Mercer developed foundational skills in investigative reporting before transitioning to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) in 2019. His early work focused on regional infrastructure challenges, laying the groundwork for his current specialization in national energy systems and climate policy.
Mercer’s 2025 investigation into smart meter implementation failures combined data journalism with human-centered storytelling. By analyzing 18,000 consumer complaints filed with the NSW Energy and Water Ombudsman, he revealed systemic issues in meter installation timelines and cost overruns. The piece’s impact led to parliamentary inquiries and revised rollout timelines from major energy retailers.
"Rather than being empowered by real-time data, many households found themselves trapped in billing limbo – caught between outdated infrastructure and half-implemented digital solutions."
This 2025 analysis of post-cyclone grid vulnerabilities demonstrated Mercer’s ability to connect climate events with infrastructure policy. Through interviews with 43 energy sector experts and analysis of outage maps, the piece highlighted the tension between disaster response protocols and long-term grid hardening needs. The article remains a benchmark for crisis reporting in energy journalism.
Mercer’s podcast deep dive into nuclear energy economics showcased his technical fluency. By comparing international case studies with Australia’s energy mix, he created an accessible primer on baseload power alternatives. The episode sparked national debate about nuclear feasibility studies and remains one of ABC’s most-downloaded energy explainers.
Mercer consistently highlights disparities between energy transition goals and on-ground execution. Successful pitches should bridge technical specifications with community impacts – for instance, how battery storage innovations affect regional employment patterns. Reference his 2025 smart meter investigation as a model for connecting infrastructure projects to consumer outcomes.
With increasing frequency of extreme weather events, Mercer prioritizes stories examining grid hardening measures. Pitches should combine engineering solutions with economic models, similar to his cyclone coverage that paired outage maps with insurance industry data.
Mercer’s work frequently addresses energy affordability challenges. Effective pitches might explore how renewable subsidies affect low-income households or analyze prepayment meter adoption rates across demographic groups.
His nuclear energy analysis demonstrated the value of international benchmarks. Pitches comparing Australian states’ renewable transitions or contrasting offshore wind approaches with European models align well with his methodology.
Mercer’s most impactful pieces integrate complex datasets into accessible formats. Proposals offering exclusive access to outage maps, smart meter deployment timelines, or renewable generation heatmaps increase pitch success likelihood.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Energy, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
