Australia’s coal-fired power plants likely to shut almost three times faster than expected, report suggests

(The Guardian, 9 Dec 2021) Latest blueprint by Aemo says grid has already ‘outpaced all expectations’ and anticipates ninefold increase in wind and solar by 2050.

Australia’s coal-fired power plants are likely to shut at almost triple the pace currently announced, with Victoria’s brown coal fleet to be closed in just over a decade and the main electricity grid becoming coal-free by 2043, according to the market operator.

The draft Integrated System Plan 2022, an industry blueprint updated every two years and released on Friday by the Australian Energy Market Operator, plots how the grid serving eastern Australia will change to meet emissions reduction and market goals.

It detailed four scenarios based on extensive consultation over 18 months. The most probable path, dubbed the “Step Change” option, anticipates a nine-fold increase in large-scale renewable energy, such as wind and solar farms, as electricity supplies double to meet the decarbonisation of transport and other sectors without coal.

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The Guardian, 9 Dec 2021: Australia’s coal-fired power plants likely to shut almost three times faster than expected, report suggests