Renewable energy in Australia

Over a third of all electricity generated in Australia is renewable energy, a proportion that is increasing in line with global trends, with a target to phase out coal power before 2040.

This growth has been stimulated by government energy policy in order to confront the rate of climate change in Australia that has been caused by fossil fuels.

Pros and cons of various types of renewable energy are being investigated, and more recently there have been trials of green hydrogen and wave power.

[6][7][8][need quotation to verify] A 2019 article raised concerns about environmental sustainability for future generations, as it seemed that the then federal government had no renewable energy policy beyond the year 2020.

This effort is supported by individual targets and initiatives from states and territories, and the National Energy Transformation Partnership, established in August 2022.

[19] In 2012, the Gillard government implemented a carbon price of $23 per tonne (2,200 lb) to be paid by 300 liable entities representing the highest business emitters in Australia.

There had been a change in the mix of energy over this period, with less electricity being sourced from coal and more being produced by renewables such as hydro and wind power.

[27] The REC-registry is dedicated to: maintaining various registers (as set in the act); and facilitating the creation, registration, transfer and surrender of renewable energy certificates (RECs).

[citation needed] Feed-in tariffs have been enacted on a state-by-state basis in Australia to encourage investment in renewable energy by providing above commercial rates for electricity generated from sources such as rooftop photovoltaic panels or wind turbines.

[6] The schemes in place focus on residential scale infrastructure by having limits that effectively exclude larger-scale developments such as wind farms.

Feed-in tariffs schemes in Australia started at a premium, but have mechanisms by which the price paid for electricity decreases over time to be equivalent or below the commercial rate.

In the past, New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory enacted gross schemes whereby householders were entitled to be paid for 100% of renewable electricity generated on the premises, however these programs have now expired.

[28] Leader of the Australian Greens, Christine Milne, advocated a uniform national gross feed-in tariff scheme.

Provision will also be made to manufacturers of other components needed to create renewable energy, and the scheme is part of a plan to provide jobs for those workers currently employed in the coal industry.

The Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) argues that according to the definitions of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), fossil fuel production and use is subsidised in Australia by means of direct payments, favourable tax treatment, and other actions.

[41][42] Combined with some basic energy efficiency measures, such a target could deliver 15,000 MW new renewable power capacity, $33B in new investment, 16,600 new jobs, and 69 million tonnes (150 billion pounds) of reduction in electricity sector greenhouse gas emissions.

[43] David Spratt and Phillip Sutton argue in their book Climate Code Red that Australia needs to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions down to zero as quickly as possible so that carbon dioxide can be drawn down from the atmosphere and greenhouse gas emissions can be reduced to less than 325 ppm CO2-e, which they argue is the upper "safe climate" level at which we can continue developing infinitely.

[48] In 2012, these policies were supplemented by a carbon price and a $10B fund to finance renewable energy projects,[25] although these initiatives were later withdrawn by the Abbott government.

Blends of 90% unleaded petrol and 10% fuel ethanol are commonly referred to as E10,[63] which is mainly available through service stations operating under the BP, Caltex, Shell, and United brands.

In partnership with the Queensland Government, the Canegrowers organisation launched a regional billboard campaign in March 2007 to promote the renewable fuels industry.

[63] Biodiesel produced from oilseed crops or recycled cooking oil may be a better prospect than ethanol, given the nation's heavy reliance on road transport, and the growing popularity of fuel-efficient diesel cars.

This project involved a trial to produce, store, and use green hydrogen to power a microgrid, and to assess the feasibility of a similar process on a larger scale.

[83] In March 2024 funding was provided by ARENA for a feasibility study into the East Kimberley Clean Energy Project, in which a 900-megawatt solar farm at Lake Argyle, Western Australia, would create green hydrogen gas.

Dubbed Snowy 2.0, it consists in adding a 2,000 MW pumped hydro storage capacity by connecting two existing reservoirs with tunnels and an underground power station.

[97][98] In collaboration with ANU, the company built and demonstrated the 500 m2 (5,400 sq ft) commercial Big Dish design in Canberra, with this having been completed in 2009.

[100] Construction was expected to commence in mid-late 2013, but following the withdrawal of Commonwealth funding in June 2013, the project was halted with Wizard Power ceasing operations in September 2013.

[104] Among them several studies have examined the feasibility of a transition to a 100% renewable electricity systems, which was found both practicable as well as economically and environmentally beneficial to combat global warming.

Edwards is now an international organisation which is a leader in producing hot water systems for both domestic and commercial purposes using solar technology.

[114] Origin Energy is active in the renewable energy arena, and has spent a number of years developing several wind farms in South Australia, a solar cell business using technology invented by a team led by Professor Andrew Blakers at the Australian National University,[115] and geothermal power via a minority shareholding stake in Geodynamics.

[122] Solar Systems has already completed construction of three concentrator dish power stations in the Northern Territory, at Hermannsburg, Yuendumu, and Lajamanu, which together generate 1,555 MWh (5,600 GJ) per year (260 homes, going by the energy/home ratio above).