Policy

Although initially expected to deliver around 650 MW, Victoria’s first renewable energy auction has smashed the goal, delivering 928 MW of renewable capacity. Six projects will be developed in total, three wind and three solar, under the state’s renewable energy target. In a separate announcement, the Andrews government promised to provide half price solar batteries for 10,000 Victorian households, if re-elected.

By keeping up the current rate of solar PV and wind deployment, Australia is forecast to comfortably exceed the 2020 RET of 33,000 GWh, achieve 26% emissions reduction by 2020/21 and meet its Paris greenhouse emissions target in 2024/25, shows new analysis by the Australian National University (ANU). In 2018 and 2019 combined, over 10 GW of renewable energy could be installed.

Renewables are stealing the march over coal in Australia, and the international outlook is for lower coal demand. Today the international Coal Transitions project released its findings, based on global coal scenarios and detailed case studies by teams in China, India, South Africa, Australia, Poland and Germany.

Despair was the predominant emotion when the National Energy Guarantee stumbled, fell and eventually brought down a prime minister. However, the pathway to a proper energy policy, one that will actually set the stage for renewables, might be clearer as a result – argues Simon Holmes à Court.

The South Australian government says it is looking to implement a series of reforms to improve the reliability, affordability and security of the state’s energy market. According to its latest state budget, released on Tuesday, it has allocated $180 million to execute the program.

Chinese wind turbine supplier and project developer Goldwind is looking to offload its Australian wind and large scale solar development pipeline, according to reporting from the Australian Financial Review. The move amounts to one of the first international players looking to exit the Australian renewables marketplace in the face of policy chaos.

Following a grant from the Victorian government, Origin Energy is gearing up to connect solar and battery systems of up to 650 residential and commercial properties across the state, in what will be its first virtual power plant and the largest one in Victoria to date.

If all planned renewable energy projects were to proceed, Queensland would be in line for a $24 billion injection into the state’s economy and over 35,000 new jobs, argues a new Solar Citizens report.

According to the Taiwanese analysts, the solar PV module market is still stable. However, EnergyTrend expects a new price war to erupt with the end of minimum import tariffs (MIPs). In particular, Taiwanese manufacturers will have to cope with increasing price pressure.

The addition of 7,200 MW of large-scale renewable energy supply since the closure of coal-fired power plants in 2016 in expected to almost halve wholesale electricity price over the next four years, shows the latest analysis from Green Energy Markets.