The report covers the latest key figures and statistics on the national energy market. It is the only analysis that includes the National Electricity Market, the Western Australian electricity grid and other major regional grids across the country in areas such as the Northern Territory.
Another year of extraordinary growth saw records tumble in 2019 as state governments, industry and communities embraced the transition to clean energy. Australia's large-scale renewable energy capacity increased by 2.2 GW across 34 projects in 2019, with large-scale solar making up more than two-thirds of this new capacity. The rooftop solar juggernaut also continued as the industry's 2.2 GW of installed capacity smashed the previous year's record of 1.6 GW. This extra capacity increased renewable energy's contribution to Australia's total electricty generation to 24 per cent.
By any measure, 2019 was a remarkable year for the Australian renewable energy industry
At the end of 2019, 11.1 GW of new generation was under construction or financially committed, representing $20.4 billion in investment and more than 14,500 jobs. You can view more detail on the current projects being constructed around the country on our project tracker page.
renewable energy projects completed in 2019
34megawatt capacity
2253In 2019, renewable energy was responsible for 24 per cent of Australia's total electricity generation, an increase of 2.7 percentage points on 2018.
For the first time, wind overtook hydro as Australia's leading clean energy source, accounting for more than 35 per cent of Australia's renewable energy generation. Hydro power was second, contributing 25.7 per cent. This was lower than previous years due to the ongoing impact of the drought in eastern Australia and the massive growth experienced by wind and solar.
Renewable energy supplied between 14 and 96 per cent of the electricity needs of Australia's states in 2019. This extraordinary range reflects the differing natural resources of each region as well as the variations in historical commitments to support renewable energy.
Tasmania's considerable hydro resources meant that it continues to be Australia's renewable energy leader, a position it intends to keep via its Battery of the Nation project. South Australia again got more than half of its electricity from renewable sources in 2019, and is expecting to increase this to 100 per cent by 2030.
See how your state is tracking below.
Note: The ACT is part of the NSW region and data for the NT grid is unavailable.
Download the full Clean Energy Australia Report 2020.
