The Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) latest Generation Information update for the National Electricity Market (NEM) showcases 138 gigawatts (GW) of proposed generation and storage capacity, up from the current 59 GWs, with renewables leading the way.
Alongside 487 megawatts (MW) of utility scale solar and 210 MW of wind capacity moving to the committed phase, proposed (26,790 MW) and anticipated (268 MW) battery storage presents a significant increase on existing capacity (611 MW). Collectively, solar, wind and battery storage make up 86% of proposed projects.
“It is exciting to see Australia’s energy transformation to net zero emissions unfold, particularly as we move to a decarbonised and decentralised system,” said AEMO’s newly appointed Group Manager of Onboarding and Connections, Margarida Pimental.
“AEMO is at the forefront of this transformation, in collaboration with the industry, preparing the grid to handle 100 per cent instantaneous renewable penetration by 2025,” Ms Pimental said.
Margarida’s 25 years of experience in the energy industry, including her recent role leading the uplift of AEMO’s Victorian Connections approach, will enable the Onboarding and Connections team to streamline the end-to-end connections, market registration and commissioning processes in collaboration with Network Service Providers, project developers, Original Equipment Manufacturers and Governments.
“A particular focus for the team will be to work with stakeholders across the NEM to leverage their experience in creating consistent and effective standards appropriate for today’s technologies, providing early guidance to project developers, and developing common, repeatable connection pathways for commercial projects,” Ms Pimental said.
The Generation Information file reports information on the capacity of existing, withdrawn, committed, and proposed generation projects in the NEM. AEMO collects generation information from generation industry participants.
If you're a project developer and want to list or update your project details in AEMO's Generation Information file, contact us via generation.information@aemo.com.au.