EcoWatch
Facebook 573k Twitter 238k Instagram 37k Subscribe Subscribe
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Policy
  • Renewables
  • Culture
  • Science
  • Go Solar Today
      • Top Companies By State
        • California Solar Companies
        • Texas Solar Companies
        • New York Solar Companies
        • Florida Solar Companies
        • See All States
      • Top Incentives By State
        • California Solar Incentives
        • Texas Solar Incentives
        • New York Solar Incentives
        • Florida Solar Incentives
        • See All States
      • Solar Panel Costs By State
        • Solar Panel Costs in California
        • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
        • Solar Panel Costs in New York
        • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
        • See All States
      • Value of Solar by State
        • Is Solar Worth It In California?
        • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
        • Is Solar Worth It New York?
        • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
        • See All States
      • Company Reviews
        • Tesla Solar Review
        • Sunrun Solar Review
        • SunPower Solar Review
        • Vivint Solar Review
        • See All Companies
      • Common Solar Questions
        • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
        • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
        • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
        • Can You Finance Solar?
        • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
        • Payback On Solar Panels?
      • Solar Resources
        • Interactive Solar Calculator
        • Federal Solar Tax Credit 2023
        • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
        • Tesla Solar Roof Review
        • Cheapest Solar Panels
      • Companies Compared
        • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
        • SunRun vs SunPower
        • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
        • SunPower vs ADT Solar
EcoWatch
  • Climate
  • Energy
  • Policy
  • Renewables
  • Culture
  • Science
  • Go Solar Today
    • Go Solar Today
    • Top Companies By State
      • California Solar Companies
      • Texas Solar Companies
      • New York Solar Companies
      • Florida Solar Companies
      • See All States
    • Top Incentives By State
      • California Solar Incentives
      • Texas Solar Incentives
      • New York Solar Incentives
      • Florida Solar Incentives
      • See All States
    • Solar Panel Costs By State
      • Solar Panel Costs in California
      • Solar Panel Costs in Texas
      • Solar Panel Costs in New York
      • Solar Panel Costs in Florida
      • See All States
    • Value of Solar by State
      • Is Solar Worth It In California?
      • Is Solar Worth It in Texas?
      • Is Solar Worth It New York?
      • Is Solar Worth It In Florida?
      • See All States
    • Company Reviews
      • Tesla Solar Review
      • Sunrun Solar Review
      • SunPower Solar Review
      • Vivint Solar Review
      • See All Companies
    • Common Solar Questions
      • Can You Get Free Solar Panels?
      • Does Solar Increase Home Value?
      • What’re The Best Solar Batteries?
      • Can You Finance Solar?
      • Where To Buy Solar Panels?
      • Payback On Solar Panels?
    • Solar Resources
      • Interactive Solar Calculator
      • Federal Solar Tax Credit 2023
      • Best Solar Panels For Most Homes
      • Tesla Solar Roof Review
      • Cheapest Solar Panels
    • Companies Compared
      • SunPower vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs Tesla Solar
      • SunRun vs SunPower
      • SunPower vs Momentum Solar
      • SunPower vs ADT Solar

The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 573k Twitter 238k Instagram 37k
    EcoWatch
    • About EcoWatch
    • Contact EcoWatch
    • Terms of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Learn About Solar Energy
    Facebook 573k Twitter 238k Instagram 37k
    Home Renewable Energy

    Record Renewable Energy Generation in Australia Led to Record Low Demand and Emissions in Fourth Quarter of 2022

    By: Olivia Rosane
    Updated: January 25, 2023
    Edited by Chris McDermott
    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon
    Aerial view of homes with rooftop solar systems in Adelaide, Australia
    Homes with rooftop solar systems in Adelaide, Australia. BeyondImages / E+ / Getty Images
    Why you can trust us

    Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

    Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

    Australia’s national electricity market (NEM) had a good fourth quarter for the climate.

    During the last three months of 2022, the country broke records for high renewable activity, low energy demand and low greenhouse gas emissions, according to an Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) report published Wednesday. New utility-scale wind and solar development meant the two energy sources alone generated 20 percent of the NEM’s energy from October through December. 

    “This growth, along with the lowest output from coal-fired generation since NEM start (down 926 MW from Q4 2021), saw NEM emissions drop to the lowest quarter on record at 26.4 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent – 5.6% lower than Q4 2021 levels,” AEMO Executive General Manager of Reform Delivery Violette Mouchaileh said in a press release. 

    She added that the emissions of the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM) also fell by 11 percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2021.

    More From EcoWatch
    • The Best Solar Panels for Hot Climates
    • Where to Buy Affordable Solar Panels
    • What Is Google Project Sunroof and Is It Accurate?

    The news comes around six months after Australians voted in a new government — headed by Labor Party leader Anthony Albanese — which upped the country’s climate ambitions with a pledge to cut emissions by 43 percent by 2030 and achieve net zero emissions by 2050. This will mean developing enough renewable energy to supply 82 percent of the nation’s needs by that date, as The Sydney Morning Herald reported. 

    Overall, renewables including wind, solar and hydropower provided 40.3 percent of the NEM’s power during 2022’s last quarter, which is the most for any quarter since its founding in 1998, The Guardian reported. The previous record was set in the fourth quarter of 2021 at 35.8 percent. However, there were days on which a largely renewable future was in sight. On 28 October, a record 68.7 percent of NEM electricity came from renewables while on December 12, a record 84.3 percent of the WEM came from renewables, according to the press release. There was also a day in which South Australia received 91.5 percent of its electricity from renewables.

    “This was possible with the support of four new synchronous condensers that are strategically placed within the SA network, providing system strength services that are traditionally offered by coal, gas, and hydro,” Mouchaileh said. “The ability to manage frequency using the Hornsdale big battery and gas generation was critical to maintain system reliability with high renewable penetration. This event was a glimpse of the future, when both batteries and gas generation will be key to Australia realising its renewable potential.”

    The AEMO noted that the amount of electricity produced by coal and gas declined, yet the two fossil fuels were still an important part of the nation’s energy mix.

    Demand also reached record lows of 11,892 megawatts (MW) on November 6 for the NEM and 626 MW on 16 October for the WEM. Overall, average operational demand decreased by two percent to reach 19,431 MW, a record low for the fourth quarter, according to The Guardian. This was partly because mild temperatures reduced the need for daytime air conditioning and partly because the energy generated by customer’s own rooftop solar panels rose by 16 percent. 

    Price wise, Australians were still seeing the impact of the global energy crisis precipitated by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as outages at coal fired stations, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. However, in December the Albanese government approved price caps on coal and gas, which led to a decline in wholesale prices. These averaged $93 per megawatt hour (MWh) during the fourth quarter, 57 percent lower than the third quarter average but still higher than the 2021 fourth quarter average of $51 per MWh.

    Energy Minister Chris Bowen told The Sydney Morning Herald that the increased use of renewables also helped cut costs.

    “The reduced prices were influenced by wind and grid-scale solar, further proof renewables are the cheapest form of energy,” he said.

    Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

      By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

      Olivia Rosane

      Olivia Rosane is a freelance writer and reporter with a decade’s worth of experience. She has been contributing to EcoWatch daily since 2018 and has also covered environmental themes for Treehugger, The Trouble, YES! Magazine and Real Life. She holds a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Cambridge and a master’s in Art and Politics from Goldsmiths, University of London.
      Facebook icon Twitter icon Pinterest icon Email icon

      Read More

      <strong>Rare Earth Minerals Are Abundant Enough to Fuel Green Energy Shift, Study Says</strong>
      There are enough rare earth minerals to make the transition
      By Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
      Scientists Create Biodegradable Plastic Using Solar Energy
      Scientists from Osaka Metropolitan University have found a way to
      By Paige Bennett
      Google Ads Helped Daily Wire Spread Climate Denial, Report Finds
      Google helped Ben Shapiro's Daily Wire spread climate disinformation online by
      By Climate Nexus

      Subscribe to get exclusive updates in our daily newsletter!

        By signing up, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy & to receive electronic communications from EcoWatch Media Group, which may include marketing promotions, advertisements and sponsored content.

        Latest Articles

        • Rare Earth Minerals Are Abundant Enough to Fuel Green Energy Shift, Study Says
          by Cristen Hemingway Jaynes
          January 30, 2023
        • Scientists Create Biodegradable Plastic Using Solar Energy
          by Paige Bennett
          January 30, 2023
        • Google Ads Helped Daily Wire Spread Climate Denial, Report Finds
          by Climate Nexus
          January 30, 2023
        • Plant-Based Eating 101: Everything You Need to Know
          by Linnea Harris
          January 29, 2023
        • 6 Must-See Environmental Films and TV Shows of 2023
          by Linnea Harris
          January 29, 2023
        • Biden Admin. Protects Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Wilderness From Mining
          by Olivia Rosane
          January 29, 2023
        • UK Celebs Join Campaign to Get Top UK Banks to Stop Funding Fossil Fuel Expansion
          by Olivia Rosane
          January 29, 2023
        • Pennsylvania Becomes Eighth State to Set PFAS Drinking Water Limits 
          by Olivia Rosane
          January 27, 2023
        EcoWatch

        The best of EcoWatch right in your inbox. Sign up for our email newsletter!

          • Climate Climate
          • Animals Animals
          • Health + Wellness Health + Wellness
          • Insights + Opinion Insights + Opinion
          • Adventure Adventure
          • Oceans Oceans
          • Business Business
          • Solar Solar
          • About EcoWatch
          • Contact EcoWatch
          • EcoWatch Reviews
          • Terms of Use
          • Privacy Policy
          • Learn About Solar Energy
          • Learn About Deregulated Energy
          • EcoWatch UK
          Follow Us
          Facebook 573k
          Twitter 238k
          Instagram 37k
          Subscribe Subscribe

          Experts for a healthier planet and life.

          Mentioned by:
          Learn more