<
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-01-29/australia-hits-power-demand-record-as-renewables-pass-50pc/106280246>
"Australia's need for electricity is breaking records, with demand in the
country's biggest grid reaching an all-time high for the final quarter of the
year.
The record came as Australia went past another milestone, with renewable energy
supplying more power than fossil fuels in a quarter for the first time.
In its latest snapshot of the national electricity market, which supplies power
across the eastern seaboard, the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) said
renewed growth in demand for power was continuing with a vengeance.
Average underlying demand, which includes power needs met by millions of
rooftop solar panels, hit a new high of 24,271 megawatts in the three months to
the end of December.
It was up 530 megawatts — or 2.2 per cent — on the previous high in 2024 and
came amid greater demand for heating and cooling, electrification, the rise of
power-hungry data centres and population growth.
Despite the record, AEMO noted the seemingly unstoppable growth of rooftop
solar was continuing to meet much of the extra consumption.
Rooftop solar alone supplied an average of 4,407 megawatts during the quarter —
also a record — while its share at one stage momentarily reached 61 per cent.
The contribution of rooftop solar helped renewable energy — along with a
burgeoning fleet of large- and small-scale batteries — supply more than half of
demand in the NEM in a quarter for the first time.
According to AEMO, renewable energy delivered 51 per cent of overall supply for
the period, compared with 46 per cent in the previous corresponding three
months."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
