Australia's renewable energy generation is rising

The Clean Energy Council has released The Clean Energy Australia Report 2013, a comprehensive overview of Australia’s renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors.

The report finds that renewable energy’s share of Australia’s power generation rose to over 14% in the 2013 calendar year. According to Clean Energy Council Chief Executive David Green, “Last year saw another year of steady growth for solar power and wind energy in Australia, despite sustained uncertainty about the key policy settings for the sector.”

Highlights included some of the strongest hydro generation in recent years and the opening of the largest wind farm in the country. Renewable energy now powers the equivalent of almost five million Australian homes, and 1.25 million homes and businesses now have a solar power system.

“The Clean Energy Australia 2013 Report shows that the industry contributed more than $5 billion of investment to the economy each year for the past three years and 21,000 jobs,” said Green. “Much of this economic activity was in regional areas where it is badly needed.”

Green said the industry is “poised to unlock tens of billions of dollars in investment, if the national Renewable Energy Target remains in place following the current review process”. He added that analysis by ROAM Consulting has shown that power prices will be lower by the end of the decade if the Renewable Energy Target was left in place than under a scenario in which it was removed.

“This is because without the Renewable Energy Target we would need to get more of our electricity from gas, which the Australian Industry Group and the NSW Government predict may as much as triple in cost this decade,” he said.

“The Clean Energy Australia Report 2013 shows what the Renewable Energy Target has already achieved. All it needs now is to be left alone to do the rest of its job.

“Australia’s renewable energy potential is massive, but we have so much more to do to fully unlock it.” 

The report can be downloaded from www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/cleanenergyaustralia.