Canberra is about to become the first capital city in Australia – and the first large city outside Europe – to transition to 100% renewable energy.
On October 1, the ACT Government will make its final purchase of renewable electricity generation, achieving 100% clean energy usage.
Analysis by The Australia Institute shows the ACT is only the eighth jurisdiction in the world with a population over 100,000 to achieve this goal.
The ACT joins 100% renewable energy jurisdictions in Germany, Spain and Austria.
States and territories leading on clean energy
Despite the absence of a national policy promoting renewable energy, the ACT milestone reflects Australian state and territory transitions to clean energy.
Victoria is close to reaching its target of 40% renewable energy by 2025. South Australia is on track to get roughly 74% of its power consumption from renewable energy sources by 2030.
Despite not having set a renewable energy target, NSW needs a further 5,000 MW of capacity to hit net zero target by 2050.
Queensland also needs to lift its game to meet its target of 50% renewables by 2030. Current projections put 2030 levels at 29.2%.
Interstate relationships are key to effective clean energy use. The second submarine interconnector between Tasmania and Victoria will increase the reliability of renewable energy on the mainland.
That’s because Tasmania’s vast hydroelectric storage capacity will act as a mega-battery. Wind and solar-generated power from the mainland will be sent to Tasmania for storage and returned when needed.
Australians embrace solar at home
As state and territory governments move towards renewables, households are also realising that solar power makes economic sense. The latest data shows close to 2.2 million Australian households have rooftop solar.
Clean Energy Regulator figures for 2019 show the number of rooftop solar systems around the country:
- QLD: 640,979
- NSW: 500,316
- VIC: 417,059
- WA: 305,568
- SA: 257,889
- TAS: 35,229
- ACT: 24,549
- NT: 13,034
Join the solar revolution and reduce your power bills
Bringing solar power into your home lets you cut power bills without curbing your usage. Households can take advantage of state and federal solar rebate schemes to reduce the cost of solar panel installations.
To find out more about adding rooftop solar to your home, call the Solaray Team on 1300 525 451; or fill in your details below and we’ll get back to you:
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