So far in 2020, there hasn’t been a whole lot of good news going on. But last month saw a number of positive outcomes for Australia’s renewable energy sector, including meeting the initial goal of producing 25 per cent of the country’s electricity supply from the main grid.
According to Renew Economy, the National Energy Emissions Audit published in late March showed that February’s renewables – including a suite of hydro, solar panels, wind and biomass – created 19.7 per cent of electricity for the market. If you add rooftop PV systems into this, that figure becomes a massive 24.3 per cent.
The Audit notes that solar power and wind generation continues to expand, while coal and gas decrease. What we can take away from this is that large-scale solar is still in its infancy, with plenty of opportunity still on the horizon.
Figures in December 2019 also highlighted that coal power stations’ electricity supply to the main grid sat at 67 per cent. While this seems like a lot, that’s actually down from 74 per cent from three years ago, and a decrease from 82 per cent 10 years before that.
How is Australia tracking for clean energy?
According to the Clean Energy Council, 2019 proved to be a “remarkable year for the Australian renewable energy industry.” By the end of the year, 11.1 GW of new generation was under development or had been committed to. That represents $20.4 billion in funding and investment, as well as more than 14,500 jobs.
Other notable figures include:
- 34 projects completed across 2019
- 2253 megawatt capacity throughout the portfolio.
The below chart also demonstrates the increase in GWh generation for renewables over the years, with 2019 remaining a successful period for the sector.
It’s time to commend Aussie renewable companies
We believe that these milestones deserve to be put under the spotlight, so this week, we’re putting focus on some of the positive players in the industry. You’ll hear about a handful of energy providers creating positive outcomes for the sector, combined with the latest trends and focus points for each.
Stay tuned to our daily posts to see how Australian renewable companies are paving a brighter path to a cleaner future.
