Quote from Australian of 12/7/2019Quote:
Less than 1 per cent of electricity was generated by solar power last year according to new figures that show renewable energy’s share of electricity generation falling short of the Renewable Energy Target.
Solar and wind power combined produced 15,000 gigawatt hours of electricity in the 2018 financial year or 7 per cent of the total, less than half the level required under the government’s RET. The target will require retailers to buy 33,000GWh of renewable energy (excluding hydro power) by 2020.
Tony Wood, an energy expert at the Grattan Institute, said the target would nevertheless be achieved, citing more recent figures from the Australian Energy Regulator that indicated a significant ramp up in capacity this year.
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“The uncertainty around the RET caused a delay in renewable investment, so this and next year should see a significant step up in renewable generation,” he said.
The Abbott government reduced the RET from 41,000GWh to 33,000GWh when it became clear the original target would have equated to about 26 per cent of all electricity being sourced from renewable sources — rather than the 20 per cent intended when the target was set — owing to a smaller-than-expected growth in electricity demand.
