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Department of Energy and Climate

Queensland’s renewable energy targets

In 2015, we started a renewable energy boom in Queensland to reduce emissions, create new jobs and diversify the state’s economy by establishing a 50% renewable energy target by 2030.

The Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan (QEJP), released in September 2022, builds on this long-standing target, with new commitments of 70% renewable energy by 2032 and 80% by 2035.

The plan sets out the infrastructure pathway and investments required to transform the State’s electricity system and achieve the 3 renewable energy targets while maintaining a safe, secure, reliable, and affordable supply of power.

The Energy (Renewable Transformation and Jobs) Act 2024 enshrines key commitments from the QEJP and embeds the 3 renewable energy targets in law. In particular, Part 2 of the Act creates new obligations on the Minister, including to:

  • prepare and publish a methodology for calculating the proportion of electricity generated in Queensland that is generated from renewable energy sources
  • to publish an annual progress statement on progress toward achieving the three renewable energy targets
  • to regularly review the renewable energy targets.

Queensland boasts 55 large-scale renewable energy projects (operating, under construction or financially committed) since 2015. This represents more than $12 billion of investment, around 9,000 construction jobs, over 6,000 megawatts (MW) of clean energy and more than 16 million tonnes of avoided emissions each year (current as at 30 June 2024).

Combined with rooftop solar, the state has more than 10,000MW of renewable energy capacity, putting downward pressure on electricity prices.

In total, 27% of electricity generated in Queensland is produced from renewable energy sources (current as at 30 June 2024).

The clean energy generated from small-scale rooftop solar will play a key role in helping Queensland reach its renewable energy targets.

Already, around 850,000 homes and small businesses across Queensland have rooftop solar, generating clean energy with a combined capacity of over 5,300MW.

Queensland has the highest rate of household rooftop solar installations in Australia, with more than 1 in 3 homes using solar.

Renewable energy tracker

Queensland is on track to meet its targets.

This graph shows Queensland’s renewable energy generation percentage over the last 12 months.

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The Queensland renewable energy targets require that 50% of Queensland’s electricity generation is sourced from renewables by 2030, 70% by 2032 and 80% by 2035.

Queensland already has significant renewable generation capacity and there are times when renewable generation exceeds 50%. However, there are variations in resource availability and dispatchability of both renewable and non-renewable generation.

The calculation of progress towards, and achievement of, the renewable energy targets in Queensland is on an electricity generation basis:

Renewable energy percentage in Queensland
=
Renewable generation in Queensland
Generation in Queensland
X
100

where generation refers to energy generated, measured in units such as megawatt-hours (MWh) or gigawatt-hours (GWh). The calculation aims to include all (as far as practicable) significant generators in Queensland. The generation estimates are limited to electricity generated within Queensland; energy generated outside of Queensland and transported into the state via interconnectors is excluded.

This calculation captures primary energy generation only. Secondary generation from energy carriers such as batteries and pumped hydro energy storage schemes are excluded from the calculation.

The calculation also excludes systems that displace the need for electricity, such as solar hot water systems and energy efficiency measures.

All parameters are “as generated”, meaning generator auxiliary loads are included in the calculation.

The calculation relies on publicly available information from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) for electricity generation data. Generally, this is generator metered output at 5-minute intervals.

AEMO also provides estimates for the generation from rooftop solar PV systems for residential, commercial and industrial customers.

Where AEMO measured output or estimates are not available, the calculation relies on estimates provided by the Department of Energy and Climate. These estimates are calculated using plant-specific capacity and published generation profiles where available, otherwise assumed generation profiles are applied.

In accordance with section 10 of the Energy (Renewable Transformation and Jobs) Act 2024, the methodology for calculating the proportion of renewable electricity generation in Queensland  (PDF, 220.14 KB) was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on 29 July 2024.

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Last updated
05 August 2024