The National Electricity Market

The National Electricity Market is changing.

More and more renewable energy is being generated in Australia, increasing the share of solar and wind energy which supplies homes and businesses across Australia. This trend is only set to continue as new wind and solar projects are built.

The following chart shows the current generation mix in each State, as well as the electricity demand. Some States are generating more than they use, this excess power is transmitted to States which are generating less than they use.

Toggle over each state and energy source to get a better understanding of the Australian electricity market.

Most of our existing power stations were built last century using coal, which at the time was the lowest cost fuel. Many of these power stations are now more than 30 years old.

The environmental costs of coal fired power stations has only become apparent more recently, and no new coal fired power station has been built in the National Electricity Market for more than 10 years.

Existing coal fired power stations are being closed as they reach their end of life, with more than 4000 Megawatts of coal fired power stations being closed over the last 10 years. These power stations are being replaced by cleaner generating options like wind, solar or gas generators.

The majority of our existing coal fired power stations are expected to close by the mid 2030's.

Retirement of Coal Generation

Retirement of Coal Fired Power Stations (Courtesy AEMO 2018)

Hazelwood Power Station