Australia’s power generation falls to 3-year low

• 11 years ago (2013-06-08)
• David Flin

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According to a report from energy consultants Pitt & Sherry, annualised electricity generation in Australia fell to a 3-year low in April, at 10.3 TWh, following the closure of some energy intensive users such as the Kurri Kurri aluminium smelter in New South Wales. The energy consultancy also reported that demand for electricity had fallen for a third successive year.

Coal-fired power stations generated 75 per cent of Australia’s electricity in April, coal’s lowest share of the country’s generation mix since national electricity records began in 1998, when coal-fired plants produced 90 per cent of Australia’s electricity generation.

Electricity generation peaked in Australia in the middle of 2010, and then started to fall. This trend accelerated following the introduction in July 2012 of the Australian government’s tax on emissions of CO2. As a result of lower power generation from fossil fuels, Australia’s power stations, excluding those in Western Australia, produced 10 million mt less CO2 emissions. Hugh Saddler, Principal on Energy Strategies for Pitt & Sherry, said: “It is likely the potential impact of a carbon price caused energy users to pay more attention to how much energy they were using, and in so doing, realise opportunities to conserve or use energy more efficiently.”