Australia sets renewable energy investment record for fifth year

• Australia sets renewable energy records for the fifth year in a row
• More than one in four households are now generating power from their roofs
• In 2021, renewable energy delivered nearly one third or 32.2 per cent of the electricity in the national electricity market
• Over the year, approximately 380,000 new systems were installed with a combined capacity of 3.2 gigawatts
• The Clean Energy Regulator is expecting the first half of 2022 will also be very strong

Australia has set renewable energy records for the fifth year in a row with more than one in four households now generating power from their roofs.

In 2021, renewable energy delivered nearly one third or 32.2 per cent of the electricity in the national electricity market, with a 35.8 per cent jump in the final quarter of the year.

Total generation from all renewable sources across Australia rose 23 per cent compared to 2020, delivering 72.5 terawatt hours.

This is the fifth record-breaking year in a row for solar panels as Australians installed approximately 380,000 new systems with a combined capacity of 3.2 gigawatts, bringing the overall total to 17 gigawatts.

Last year, 2.9 gigawatts of new wind and solar power stations were committed, including Australia’s largest wind farm, The MacIntyre, in Queensland.

Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said continued investment in renewable energy has made Australia world leaders in bringing down emissions.

“Last year $7.4 billion or $284 per person was invested in renewable energy in Australia. This puts us ahead of countries including Canada, Germany, Japan, France, China and the United States on a per person basis,” Mr Taylor said.

“As record high levels of renewable energy come online, the Morrison Government’s energy policy is focused on three things: ensuring the grid is stable; prices remain low; and emissions continue to come down. The key to this is balance between renewables and on-demand reliable power.”

The Clean Energy Regulator is expecting the first half of 2022 will also be very strong for new announcements and construction beginning on major renewable energy projects.