30 November 2020
Here is the Energy Next news round up for November 2020
NSW and WA post record rooftop solar installations
Rooftop solar installations had another record-breaking month in both New South Wales and Western Australia in October, helping the national market to keep up its cracking pace with a total of 252MW of new capacity installed over the course of October.
Officeworks pledges to go 100 per cent renewable by 2025
Stationary superstore Officeworks has followed its Wesfarmers stablemate Bunnings in pledging to source 100 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025, starting with an on-store rooftop solar rollout. Officeworks on Friday released its Positive Difference Plan 2025, a broad-ranging sustainability strategy that outlines 18 commitments, including to shift to a 100% renewable energy supply within five years.
Australia hits 50pct renewables again, despite shut down of seven solar farms
Australia’s main grid, the National Electricity Market, reached a share of 50 per cent renewables again on Tuesday, despite the temporary shut down of seven solar farms in NSW and one of the state’s biggest wind farms to allow for maintenance on a major transmission link.
NSW government unveils $32 billion investment plan for new electricity infrastructure
The NSW government has unveiled a $32 billion investment plan for new electricity infrastructure in the state, that will see strong investment in new wind, solar and storage projects to replace the state’s ageing coal fleet while reducing emissions and costs for NSW consumers.
Woolworths pledges to source 100 per cent renewables by 2025
Retail giant Woolworths has committed to power all of its operations – more than two terrawatt-hours worth of demand – with 100 per cent renewable electricity within just five years, as it becomes the largest single Australian energy user to join the global RE100 initiative.
Production for new wind and solar farms have begun production
Following on the coat-tails of the much bigger but long-delayed Sunraysia solar farm, the 39MW Molong solar farm in the New South Wales region of the same name has started registering “small blips” of generation on the National Electricity Market after being connected to the grid. In a LinkedIn post on Wednesday, network operator TransGrid congratulated project owner AMP Energy on the registration of Molong Solar Farm, effective November 10, 2020.