Renewables break record for share of Australia’s main energy supply in December quarter, data reveals
Renewables break record for share of Australia’s main energy supply in December quarter, data reveals
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Australian Energy Market Operator also reports coal-fired power plants’ contribution fell below 50% for the first time. Renewable power reached a record share of Australia’s main electricity supply in the December 2024 quarter, with the contribution of coal-fired generation dipping below 50% for the first time, the Australian Energy Market Operator said.
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Renewable energy sources accounted for 46% of the overall supply mix in the national energy market (NEM), driving quarterly total emissions and emissions intensity to record low levels. Higher than average temperatures, including a heatwave across large parts of the country in November, contributed to the highest underlying demand in all mainland NEM regions since at least 2016.
The maximum demand record for a December quarter was reached on 16 December with of 33,716 megawatts (MW), while the average quarterly total demand was 23,737 MW, also a quarter-four record. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email. Rooftop solar and grid-scale solar reached new output records, increasing by 18% and 9%, respectively, AEMO said.
“The rise in rooftop solar output, coupled with record low coal-generation availability, resulted in coal-fired generation contributing less than 50% of the NEM’s total generation for the first time,” the AEMO executive general manager for reform delivery, Violette Mouchaileh, said.
Sign up to Breaking News Australia. Get the most important news as it breaks. after newsletter promotion. “Renewable energy supplied a record 46% of the market’s electricity, peaking at 75.6% for a period on 6 November, driving emissions to record low levels.”.
