South Australia Just Buried The Energy Debate / Industry News / By Finulent Solutions With its landslide victory, Labor is set to get on with solar & renewables at the energy forefront. Overview Labor has returned to power for another four years – and there’s an even more ambitious renewables target in the driver’s seat: Net 100% by 2027. More solar farms, more rooftop PV, more batteries, and a new connection to NSW. Labor’s plan builds on South Australia’s strong shift towards renewable energy, as Malinauskas made clear in his victory speech. And this future has indeed been endorsed by voters who recognize the opportunity sitting in their own backyards. The renewables revolution that keeps going Many countries in the world have hit 100% renewables but all of them have done so with a significant hydro bump. SA’s path to achieve this goal would make it the first ever gigawatt-scale grid to reach this milestone using primarily solar & wind. Any doubt feels misplaced in fact. From 1% in 2027, the state currently generates ~75% of its electricity from renewables. Labor now doubles down on the renewable transition while ensuring reliability through battery storage and gas backup. The government has backed large batteries and is keeping gas in the system to step in when renewable energy isn’t available, through the Firm Energy Reliability Mechanism tender seeking 700MW of long duration storage capacity. “He (premier Malinauskas) has led a very active, reformist government, and in my area of interest, a jurisdiction with the highest renewable energy ambition in the world,” Said Chris Bowen on the ABC’s Insiders on Sunday. Implications between the lines The state’s become somewhat of an energy magnet for large industries – with solar & wind being cheaper than ever. As per ElectraNet’s projections, South Australia’s grid could expand 6x to 25 gigawatts in coming years, driven by demand from data centers, miners, and manufacturers attracted by the bulk of low-cost clean energy. It also says quite a bit about the voters who recognize this. The clean energy message from the opposition’s side has been muddled to say the least. While they promised to re-introduce the former Marshall Government’s Home Battery Scheme (up to 50% off the upfront cost of a battery for homeowners), they signalled they may move away from the state’s 100% renewables target and place more emphasis on gas for reliability. But the choice now is to continue the state’s move towards more renewables and manage the transition carefully. With a majority of this size, the government holds significant legislative freedom for its clean energy priorities. And for the rest of the states, it’s clear that renewables aren’t a political liability when paired with genuine reliability measures. Beyond electricity prices, this result is set to shape South Australia’s role in the nation’s broader energy future.
