Table O of the Australian Energy Statistics has been updated to include the latest data available on Australia’s electricity generation. This release provides estimates for 2016-17 and calendar year 2017.
Total electricity generation in Australia was estimated to be 259,446 gigawatt hours (GWh) in calendar year 2017, similar to 2016.
Non-renewable sources contributed 220,359 GWh (85 per cent) of total electricity generation in 2017, an increase of 1 per cent compared with 2016.
Coal accounted for the majority of electricity generation, at approximately 61 per cent of total generation in 2017.
Renewable sources contributed 39,087 GWh (15 per cent) of total electricity generation in 2017, a decrease of 7 per cent compared with 2016.
The largest source of renewable generation was hydro (5 per cent of total generation) followed by wind (5 per cent) and solar (3 per cent).
The full Australian Energy Statistics will be published later in the year.