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Asupply of reliable and affordable energy is a must for any country that has homes , businesses and cars . It ’ s also a key factor in economic prosperity – providing significant employment opportunities ( that ’ s us ), infrastructure and a hunk of cash from export revenue . Luckily for us , Australia is blessed with an abundance of sources .
POWER THEN The power sources we use in Australia have changed over time , as technologies have developed . Energy has been around a lot longer than electricity has , and our first peoples relied on the sun to provide heat and light during the day , and burnt timber and dung for heat and light at night . Leap forward to the 1800s and water-powered flour mills and sawmills are documented everywhere from Norfolk Island to WA . At about the same time , colonialists discovered coal . Since then , Australia ’ s energy needs have been largely met by fossil fuels . Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries , realisation dawned that burning fossil fuels for electricity was contributing to climate change , which put renewable energy sources back in the limelight . Full circle , you might say .
POWER NOW Australia has a significant chunk of the world ’ s coal resources , plus a good slice of the gas market , likewise uranium ( used in nuclear power ). And then there ’ s the plentiful potential of renewables , many of which are still just a twinkle in the eye . Here ’ s what we ’ re using to generate electricity right now , according to the 2020 Department of Industry , Science , Energy and Resources Australian Energy Update *.
Coal is not only Australia ’ s largest export , it accounts for just over half ( 56 per cent ) of domestic electricity production , and there ’ s an estimated century ’ s worth left in the ground .
Conventional gas reserves are located in basins off the north-west coast , with smaller resources offshore of Vic and SA . Coal seam gas ( natural gas found in coal beds ) is a more recently discovered source , and is on the rise due to exploration in Qld and NSW . Gas accounts for about 21 per cent of electricity generation .
Australia ’ s renewables are a mixed ( and growing ) bag . Together they make up another 21 per cent of the energy package . Hydro energy is currently the largest player , but we also have some of the best windenergy resources in the world . Solar is a big winner in the sunnier states , and investment in its efficiency and cost-effectiveness are set to give it a further boost . Also on the agenda are hot-rock geothermal resources , wave energy and the fast-growing bioenergy from sugar cane and other organic matter .
At a tiny fraction of the world ’ s total , our oil reserves account for the remaining two per cent of our energy mix . Most of our oil is in the form of liquefied petroleum gas ( LPG ), which occurs in the offshore gas fields .
POWER FUTURE Energy consumption worldwide grew by 2.3 per cent in 2018 – almost twice the average rate of growth since 2010 . So what changes will we be seeing to ensure we can keep up with the growing demand ?
Tania Urmee is Associate Professor of Engineering and Energy at Murdoch University .
“ The biggest area of growth in power generation will be in renewables ,” she says . “ Renewable energy is now cheaper than electricity from new-build coal and gas-fired power stations in Australia .
“ Renewable energy – mostly hydropower – already accounts for a third of the world ’ s total electricity generation . In Germany , for example , the 2019 renewable share was 39 per cent , and in India it was 37.1 per cent .”
According to the International Energy Agency ( IEA )’ s ‘ Net Zero Emissions by 2050 Scenario ’, if all countries that have goals to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 actually achieve those goals , the entire planet can be brought to net-zero emissions by 2070 . ( Although the Australian Federal Government has not expressly committed to these targets , much of the Australian business and financial community is onboard , as are councils across the country , such as the City of Sydney .)
“ The pathway to a renewable future in a fossil-fuel-rich country like Australia is not an easy one ,” says Urmee . “ Although renewable energy companies are the fastest-growing source of jobs in several countries , there will inevitably be transitional impacts at the regional and community levels .
“ We need to be mindful about the people working in this sector . Relocating them into the new industry is important . These jobs need to be diversified by providing training to the clean energy sector . Another problem is that the current grid is not ready for renewables . There is a need to upgrade the system and infrastructure first , before moving towards renewable sources .” n
DID YOU KNOW ?
Australia is the world ’ s 20th largest consumer of energy , but levels up to 15th place in terms of per capita use .
FUTURE PROOFING
→
China has delayed or stopped work on
151 of its coal power plants , and has earmarked a
$ 15 billion fund for retraining , reallocating and early retirement of the estimated five to six million people who would be laid off due to coal or steel sector overcapacity .
* energy . gov . au / publications / australian-energy-update-2019
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