The point when the cost of solar electricity generation falls below that of the cost of the network is the real threat to traditional utilities, a new report has warned. […]
Tag: coal
Survey confirms: Over 80% of Australians prefer solar energy over other sources
Solar power is the preferred energy source of more than 80 per cent of Australians, a new survey has found. In its latest Climate of the Nation report, The Climate […]
Australia sees emissions jump for first time since 2001
Australian has recorded the biggest jump in electricity sector emissions since 2001, as brown coal and black coal energy generation continues to grow after the repeal of the carbon price […]
Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary nabs record low PV tender below 4c/kWh
NV Energy (Nevada) and Austin Energy (Texas) last week agreed to two separate record-low solar farm PPAs below 4c/kWh. As the lower rate of the two PPA rates, NV Energy […]
Rooftop solar to beat coal, demolish midday demand in SA by 2025
Rooftop solar PV capacity in Australia is expected to overtake that of coal fired generation within the next decade, according to new forecasts by the Australian Energy Market Operator, published on […]
South Australia’s two remaining coal plants will close, Alinta confirms
The likelihood of South Australia shifting to 100 per cent renewable energy received a huge boost this week, with the decision to close the state’s two remaining coal-fired plants. Alinta […]
Wind & solar save the day in SA as fire disables Northern coal plant
Renewable energy managed to carry the bulk South Australia’s electricity load over the long weekend, after a fire at the Northern coal power station – the state’s only baseload generator […]
Three potential sites identified for ground-breaking SA energy storage project
Plans for Australia’s first large-scale, non-hydro energy storage project have progressed this week, with the identification of three potential sites in South Australia, and the submission of more than 40 […]
SA Power Networks could introduce $100 annual charge for solar homes
South Australia’s monopoly power network operator, SA Power Networks, has flagged the introduction of a $100 a year network surcharge on the state’s solar households. The proposal was revealed in […]
Perth suburb sets sights on solar-powered future
Western Australia’s Wanneroo Council has called for expressions of interest to develop and operate a grid-connected solar farm on local government-owned land in the northern Perth suburb of Neerabup. The […]
Renewable Energy Target deal struck: 33,000GWh with no 2-yearly reviews
The Abbott government and federal Labor have finally struck a bipartisan agreement on Australia’s renewable energy target, with both parties agreeing to slash it from 41,000GWh to 33,000GWh by 2020. […]
International Energy Agency report says renewables will be key in meeting climate goals
The International Energy Agency has named renewables as one of the key ingredients to meeting climate mitigation goals, and called on governments to set policies accordingly, in a new report […]
Solar and wind & other renewables account for 75% of new capacity in USA for Q1 of 2015
Solar and wind energy were top among the renewable energy resources that combined to make up more than 75 per cent of all new electricity generation added in America in […]
Government’s Energy White Paper focuses on coal, glosses over solar
The Abbott government has again shown its colours on renewables, using its Energy White Paper to describe interventions like the RET and solar feed-in-tariffs as “unintended disruptions” to competitive energy […]
Duke Energy plans for 500MW of solar in Florida by 2024
The US state of Florida will have up to 500MW of utility-scale solar capacity added to its electricity mix by 2024, in new plans revealed by power giant Duke Energy. […]
Coalition rejects 41,000GWh ‘compromise’ on Renewable Energy Target
Federal industry minister Ian Macfarlane has rejected the offer of a compromise on the Renewable Energy Target from the Clean Energy Council, saying his government would not budge above 32,000GWh. […]
NSW Labor releases document detailing strong renewable energy support policy for state
NSW Labor has released a renewable energy-focused environment and energy policy, promising a fair price for solar and an emphasis on decentralised generation. The policy document, released on Tuesday, outlines around 10 major […]
IEA: In historic first, CO2 emissions flatlined even as economy grew – thanks to renewables
A halt in the rise of global carbon dioxide emissions, despite continued economic growth, is being hailed as a first by the International Energy Agency, and largely credited to the growth […]
Solar will be the dominant electricity source globally by 2030: Deutsche Bank
Solar will become the dominant electricity source around the world as it displaces fossil fuels and generates $5 trillion in revenue over the next 15 years, a new report has […]
Solar-plus-storage project sees revival in WA
Plans to install large-scale solar thermal power at the Mundari Industrial estate in Western Australia’s Goldfields region have been revived, with two local solar developers expressing interest in the project. […]
Next round of ACT feed-in tariff for large-scale renewables to foster solar-plus-storage projects
The ACT government is set to follow up its successful utility-scale solar and wind energy reverse auctions with another renewables bidding round – this time for large-scale solar plus storage […]
Concentrated solar PV costs could match fossil fuel costs by 2030
The cost of generating electricity from concentrating solar PV plants could be cheaper than that generated from fossil fuel sources by as soon as 2030, a new report has predicted. […]
Labor’s landslide in Queensland election could spell sunny future for solar
Campbell Newman’s loss in the Queensland state election on the weekend could be solar’s gain, as attention turns to the Labor party’s renewable energy policy. Queensland’s Labor Party unveiled its solar […]
Swiftly dropping renewable energy prices present ‘a historic opportunity’: IRENA
The International Renewable Energy Agency – IRENA – is calling on the governments to start making sensible decision about the future of energy, based on real assessments of technology costs. […]
Rooftop solar and energy efficiency accounted for nearly 90% of national electricity demand reduction in 2014
Gone are the days where the conventional, fossil fuel driven electricity industry were thought to be unstoppable. Green Energy Markets annual review of the National Electricity Market states that solar […]
Church leaders offer PM a Christmas gift of solar panels for Kirribilli House
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has received an early Christmas gift with a message from a group of local Sydney church leaders. The gift: A rooftop solar system to put on […]
Australia Institute report shows 80% of Australians favour solar, wind & other renewables over coal
The majority of Australians look forward to a future fuelled by renewables, new research has found, with many naming solar and wind as their energy sources of choice. In two […]
German utility giant E.ON splits in two in order to focus on renewables
Europe’s largest power utility has announced plans to dump conventional, fossil fuel energy generation and focus instead on renewables and customer-led distributed generation solutions. In what has been described as […]
Victoria’s Labor party promises to reinstate emissions reduction target if elected
The Victorian Labor Party has pledged to set up a $20 million fund to encourage investment in renewable energy resources including solar and wind, just days before the state election […]
Indian PM releases bright assessment of sub-continent’s solar potential
The Indian government has identified 12 solar park locations capable of housing up to 13.75GW of capacity in the next five years, as it gears up to meet a national […]
AGL’s chief economist calls solar subsidies a ‘hidden scam’ in conversation with Financial Review
One of Australia’s biggest energy utilities – and the nation’s biggest generator of coal-fired power – has described rooftop solar tariffs as a billion-dollar “scam” being paid for by non-solar […]
