Renewables
Renewable energy sources accounted for 9% of Australian energy consumption in 2022-23.
Renewable electricity generation has more than doubled over the last decade, but combustion of biomass such as firewood and bagasse (the remnant sugar cane pulp left after crushing) still constitutes about a third of all renewable energy consumption in Australia.
| 2022–23 PJ | 2022–23 share (per cent) |
2022–23 growth (per cent) |
10 year average annual growth (per cent) |
|
| Biomass | 177.2 | 32.0 | 3.9 | -0.4 |
| - wood and othera | 84.9 | 15.3 | -1.5 | -0.6 |
| - bagasse | 92.3 | 16.7 | 9.3 | -0.3 |
| Municipal and industrial waste | 4.6 | 0.8 | -1.6 | na |
| Biogas | 18.0 | 3.3 | -2.4 | 2.7 |
| - landfill gas | 13.5 | 2.4 | -2.9 | na |
| - other biogas | 4.6 | 0.8 | -0.8 | na |
| Biofuels | 6.2 | 1.1 | 0.5 | -6.7 |
| - ethanol | 5.0 | 0.9 | 3.6 | na |
| - biodiesel | 0.0 | 0.0 | -82.5 | na |
| - other liquid biofuels | 1.2 | 0.2 | -1.2 | na |
| Wind | 113.0 | 20.4 | 7.8 | 14.7 |
| Hydro | 60.0 | 10.8 | -2.0 | -0.9 |
| Solar PV | 151.1 | 27.3 | 21.0 | 27.1 |
| Solar hot water | 23.5 | 4.2 | 10.1 | 6.0 |
| Total | 553.6 | 100.0 | 8.1 | 5.2 |
Notes: a includes wood waste, charcoal, sulphite lyes and other biomass
na – not available
Source: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (2024) Australian Energy Statistics, Table R
In 2023, 35% of Australia’s total electricity generation was from renewable energy sources, including solar (16%), wind (12%) and hydro (6%). The share of renewables in total electricity generation in 2023 was the highest on record, a share of 1% higher than the earlier 2022-23 financial year. The previous peak of renewables share of total generation was 26% in the mid-1960s as the Snowy Mountains hydroelectric scheme came progressively online.
Solar and wind have been the primary drivers in more than doubling renewable generation expansion over the last decade. Small-scale solar generation grew 17% in 2023, and by an average of 21% per year since 2015. Wind generation grew 6% in 2023 and by an average of 13% per year since 2015. Hydro power output has fluctuated around a fairly consistent level according to rainfall and market conditions, losing predominance as generation sources diversified.
Recently, large-scale solar generation has begun rapid expansion. Large-scale solar generation has grown from negligible levels before 2016 to 6% of all Australian electricity generation in 2023, representing a growth rate of 2,777% from 2016.
Australian electricity generation from renewable sources
