Renewables produced more energy than brown coal and gas over summer

Growth in wind and solar energy over the past two years has almost entirely replaced the lost output from the Hazelwood power station during summer, a new report says.

The Hazelwood power station in 2018. Almost all of
the generation capacity lost in Hazelwood’s closure
 has been replaced by renewables. 

The latest Green Energy Markets report says renewable energy produced 128% more megawatt hours of electricity than gas and 23% more than brown coal over the 2018-19 summer in the national electricity market states.

It also shows that output from solar energy alone exceeded that from brown coal and gas when averaged across the 9am-5pm period.

Demand for electricity hits a peak between 11.30am and 5.30pm in the summer months.

Read the story from The Guardian by Lisa Cox - “Renewables produced more energy than brown coal and gas over summer.”

Snowy Hydro dumps coal for wind and solar to pump its water

Snowy Hydro will use wind and solar energy not coal to support its pumped hydro storage generators in a deal the company says will help cut households power bills from 2020.

Snowy Hydro will use wind and solar to pump water
uphill, slashing its energy generation costs.CREDIT:

“This agreement will put significant pressure on wholesale electricity prices which will lead to downward pressure on retail – household – energy prices,” Snowy Hydro chief executive Paul Broad said.

Read the story from The Age by Cole Latimer - “Snowy Hydro dumps coal for wind and solar to pump its water.”