Australia's Energy Mix

AUSTRALIA'S CHANGING ENERGY MIX Energy is at the heart of everything we do - from showering to powering computers and mobile phones, to lighting our homes and cooking meals. But we don't tend to spend much time thinking about it. Lucky for Australians, we have an incredibly reliable system that ensures we have energy when we need it. OUR ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION OVER TIME Like the rest of the world, Australians have significantly increased their consumption of energy over time. Much of the growth in energy consumption has occurred in tandem with Australia's economic development. The most recent trend however, shows smaller annual increases in electricity use. Coal Natural gas Other fossil fuel generation: oil, diesel etc Hydropower Wind 300,000 250,000 Bioenergy Solar photovoltaic 200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000 CHANGES IN THE WAY WE LIVE A growing Australian economy, technology advances and developing infrastructure have resulted in changes to the way we use energy. 19TH CENTURY 20TH CENTURY 21TH CENTURY economy agriculture trade globalisation manufacturing craftsman mass manufacturing customization transportation foot, horse, sail auto, rail, boats + planes technology manual mechanical computerised media written printing press online energy wood, fire fossil fuels + renewables The industrial revolution drove improvements in the way we extract energy from sources such as coal and gas. The knowledge that fossil fuels may contribute to climate change began to drive demand for renewable energy sources. For thousands of years people relied on wood, wind, water and the sun as primary energy sources. pre-1800s future 1800 1900 The discovery of many new useful applications for electricity led to the development of our first coal-fired power stations. Government policy and improved technology may make reliable renewable energy on a large scale more affordable and help support the use of natural gas as a "cleaner" burning fuel. AUSTRALIA'S CURRENT ELECTRICITY MIX An abundance of fossil fuels like coal and gas have been the key to providing a relatively cheap and reliable electricity supply in Australia. 1% rooftop solar 1% bioenergy 3% wind 2013 6% hydropower 15% natural gas 74% coal * Sources: • www.bree.gov.au/publications/aes-2012.html For more energy information visit Energy Explorer at www.ORIGINENERGY.COM.AU/ENERGYEXPLORER MAY 2013 origin Electricity generation in GWh 06 1991 1992 E66 1994 1995 966L 866 666 000Z 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 9007 2007 800Z 6007 2010 2011