5 May 2020
Here is the Energy Next news round up for April 2020.
ARENA backs New England pumped hydro study
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing $951,000 to fund a pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) study in the New England Renewable Energy Zone. Oven Mountain Pumped Storage (OMPS) will undertake the study in partnership with Alinta Energy at Oven Mountain, near Armidale and Kempsey in Northern New South Wales.
Renewable energy jobs in Australia surge to record levels
Employment in Australia's renewable energy sector surged nearly 30 per cent to its highest-ever level following a boom in wind and solar power construction activity in 2018-19. The figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed full-time equivalent jobs in renewable energy rose by more than 5700 to reach 26,850 as every state and territory recorded significant increases.
Australia renewables hit 50% of main grid’s net demand on Easter Saturday
Renewable energy hit what may be a record level of renewable energy on grid demand in the early afternoon on Easter Saturday, when the combined output of rooftop solar, large scale wind and solar and hydro power accounted for 50.4 per cent of net load.
NSW amends planning laws to pave way for standalone big battery projects
The New South Wales government has amended legislation to allow for stand-alone battery storage systems, a move that it expected to pave the way for multiple big batteries that no longer have to be co-located with a wind or solar farm, or other generator.
First turbines installed at 110MW Biala wind farm in NSW
The 110MW Biala wind farm in New South Wales has installed the first two out of 31 turbines for the project, which is located in the Southern Tablelands in Angus no-fan-of-wind Taylor’s federal electorate of Hume.