Energy shift in action: Brown coal hits new low in Victoria, renewables hit new high in NSW

As the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) unveiled its draft 2024 Integrated System Plan (ISP), energy generation records in Victoria and New South Wales highlight the ongoing rapid shifts in Australia’s energy landscape.

In Victoria, on Saturday (December 16), at 10.55am (AEST), the output of brown coal fell to a record minimum of 1,604 MW) – some 62.04 MW below previous low of 1,666.1 MW set more than a year ago on October 30, 2022.

This shift is reflective of the nation’s and Victoria’s move towards renewable energy. Not the impact of rooftop solar in the graph below.

Meanwhile, during a sweltering week in New South Wales, a new peak in Native Demand (which includes behind-the-meter Rooftop PV) was recorded on Thursday, December 14, at 15.25 (AEST), when it reached 14,867.7 MW.

This was an increase of 226.7 MW from the previous peak of 14,641.0 MW set nearly four years ago on January 31,, 2020.

On Saturday, on another sweltering day in NSW, the state achieved new highs in Renewable Energy (8,711 MW, variable renewable energy (wind and solar –  8,586 MW), and rooftop PV (4,538 MW).

With 9 out of 10 NSW coal units in-service at high utilisation and record contributions from RE, this underscores the pressing need for increased renewable energy capacity and storage in NSW, highlighting the significant task ahead.

These milestones in both states serve as indicators of the rapid pace at which Australia’s energy sector is transitioning. With the AEMO’s draft ISP forecasting a complete coal exit by 2038, the urgency and challenge of this shift becomes evident.

Geoff Eldridge is a consultant with Global Power Energy.