Renewables to dominate 'within decades'

26 Nov 2012, 2:19 pm   -   Source: AAP
Renewable sources are expected to generate 25 per cent of Australia's energy by 2020. (AAP)

Renewable sources are expected to generate 25 per cent of Australia's energy by 2020. (AAP)

Chief climate commissioner Tim Flannery insists there's "no doubt" Australia will end up with 100 per cent renewables sooner rather than later.

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Chief climate commissioner Tim Flannery believes Australia will be generating 100 per cent of its energy from renewable sources within decades.

At the moment renewables such as hydroelectricity, wind and solar power account for 10 per cent of Australia's energy mix. That figure is expected to rise to 25 per cent by 2020.

But Professor Flannery insists there's "no doubt" Australia will end up with 100 per cent renewables sooner rather than later.

"It's only my gut feeling, but I would say (it will happen) within decades and not many," Prof Flannery told AAP, adding that prices were coming down and penetration was growing "massively".

The Climate Commission on Monday is to release a report examining renewable energy in Australia.

It suggests there is enormous potential but so far it's under-utilised.

"Solar PV and wind could be the cheapest forms of power in Australia for retail users by 2030, if not earlier, as carbon prices rise," the report states.

"The rate of growth of wind energy is well above any other large-scale generation source, growing at an average of 40 per cent each year over five years to 2009-10."

Prof Flannery said the situation was similar to what was happening in the media where historically there'd been a few large generators of news and many consumers.

"But the internet means there's now a whole lot of producers and a whole lot of consumers," he said.

"The electricity sector is going the same way. We led the world in terms of small installations of PV (solar) last year."

Prof Flannery said as renewables replaced fossil fuels there had to be changes such as a national roll-out of smart meters to manage demand.

There could also be a limited need for new infrastructure such as a connection to transfer wind-generated power from South Australia to the southeastern grid.

The ability to store electricity produced from renewables was also key, the chief climate commissioner said.

"That's what is going to be the next transformational technological innovation," he said.

"We already have the technology in terms of lithium-ion batteries."

Monday's report notes that global investment in renewable power reached almost $250 billion in 2011. That exceeded spending on new fossil-fuel power plants for the first time.

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