Electricity generation output, by fuel source National Electricity Market, 2009 |
First 9 of 9 paragraphs shown Hydroelectric generation accounts for around 17 per cent of registered capacity, but less than 6 per cent of output. - Hydro's contribution to output has fallen in the past few years as a result of drought conditions in eastern Australia. - Wind plays a relatively minor role in the market (around 4 per cent of capacity and 1 per cent of output), but its role is expected to expand under climate change policies. Liquid fuels account for around 1 per cent of capacity.6 - Victoria’s generation is fuelled by mainly brown coal, supplemented by hydroelectric and gas fired peaking generation. - New South Wales and Queensland rely on mainly black coal, but there has been some recent investment in gas fired generation. New South Wales also has some hydroelectric generation, mainly owned by Snowy Hydro. - Electricity generation in South Australia is fuelled by mainly natural gas. Tasmania relies on hydroelectric generation primarily, but there has been some recent investment in gas fired generation. Wind generation grew strongly in the NEM: The extent of new and proposed investment in intermittent generation (mainly wind) has raised concerns about system security and reliability. Wind generation grew strongly in the NEM especially in South Australia following the introduction of a national mandatory renewable energy target in 2000. That growth led to changes in the way wind generation is integrated into the market. Since 31 March 2009 new wind generators greater than 30 megawatts (MW) must be classified as semischeduled and participate in the central dispatch process. This allows AEMO to limit the output of these generators if necessary to maintain the integrity of the power system. While wind accounts for only around 4 per cent of registered capacity in the NEM, it has a significantly higher share in South Australia at 20 per cent. ...Log in to read rest of Article or image. |