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Summer Stats: Solar Outshone Gas

NEW DATA REVEALS renewables provided six times more power than gas this summer with gas generation falling almost 40 percent compared to last summer. 

“Renewables are out-competing gas power stations, even in the hottest months when electricity demand is usually highest,” said Climate Council senior researcher, Tim Baxter.

This comes off the back of a shocker year for gas in 2020 while solar and wind had a record year despite the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“Our existing gas power stations are struggling to compete with clean, reliable and affordable renewable energy and storage. Australia does not need any new gas,” he said. 

“Gas is a polluting and expensive fossil fuel that’s on the way out and has no role to play in our economic recovery. It’s driving up household power prices, and prices for our manufacturing industries, putting the sector at risk,” said Mr Baxter. 

Key Statistics: 

• Nationally, gas power stations provided just 5 percent of the electricity in the National Electricity Market (NEM) over summer. This is part of a long-term trend with gas generation declining for six out of the last seven summers. 

• In Victoria, renewables provided 57 times more power than gas over the summer, with gas providing less than one percent of electricity. 

• In New South Wales, renewables provided 31 times more power than gas over the summer, with gas providing less than one percent of electricity. Gas generation has declined for the last eight summers in a row in the state. 

• South Australia saw gas generation fall to its lowest level in 16 years over summer. The state had Australia’s cheapest wholesale electricity prices over summer thanks to renewable energy providing over 70 percent of its power. 

“Gas industry advocates regularly point to the experiences of countries overseas to justify new gas, while completely failing to acknowledge the reality of what is actually happening here in Australia,” he said.

“As the sunniest and one of the windiest places on the planet, Australia should be cashing-in on its renewable advantage, and in doing so, rapidly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. It’s a win-win,” said Mr Baxter. 

Overall electricity demand fell by 4% this summer compared to the summer of 2019/20, but gas was hit particularly hard, falling by more than a third. Renewables continued to outcompete gas, increasing by about a fifth and providing 30% of the NEM’s power needs.

Further information: 

The National Electricity Market is Australia’s largest grid and supplies the vast majority of Australia’s electricity.

OpenNEM is an open source platform that displays electricity generation data. This data covers the period from 1 December 2020 to 28 February 2021. You can view the data here.

For interviews please contact Brianna Hudson on 0455 238 875. 

The Climate Council is Australia’s leading community-funded climate change communications organisation. We provide authoritative, expert and evidence-based advice on climate change to journalists, policymakers, and the wider Australian community.

For further information, go to: climatecouncil.org.au