Australia is urged to intensify its focus on electrification following the release of the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) Integrated System Plan (ISP), which underscores the country’s ability to reliably transition to renewable energy with increased capacity.
Dan Cass, executive director of Rewiring Australia, emphasised the need to build on existing progress and support the 3.8 million households equipped with rooftop solar rather than pursuing costly and slow nuclear baseload power.
“Consumer-owned rooftop solar, electric vehicles, and household and business batteries have the greatest potential for generation, storage, and firming capacity by 2050—more so than nuclear,” Cass stated.
He stressed that electrification represents the most direct route to achieving a clean energy system in Australia, emphasising that rooftop solar provides the world’s most cost-effective delivered energy, surpassing nuclear alternatives in cost competitiveness.
Cass called for improved coordination between governments and industries to facilitate the deployment of large-scale renewables.
This includes effective community engagement, fair negotiations, and equitable distribution of benefits from clean energy infrastructure.
Furthermore, Cass highlighted the importance of expanding solar and storage capacities within urban and suburban distribution networks to better serve consumers.
“Electrification is the fastest, cheapest, and fairest way to decarbonize. We must seize this opportunity to ensure more Australians enjoy the benefits of household electrification as soon as possible,” Cass concluded.
