This is a recording of a Smart Energy Council webinar held on 23 March 2021, held in partnership with the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).

In this webinar we covered:
– Solar and wind energy growth to 2025
– Coal plant financials, and further potential near-term closures
– Long-term planning for a post fossil fuel grid

Special thanks to Industry Experts:

– Johanna Bowyer, Lead Research Analyst for Australian Electricity, IEEFA
– Tristan Edis, Director – Analysis and Advisory, Green Energy Markets
– Tim Finnigan, Principal, Numantian Advisory

Profound change is happening in the National Electricity Market. Traditional coal-fired generation is on the cusp of giving way to a flood of distributed clean energy resources. Up to five coal plants could be economically unviable by 2025, and power stations are likely to close earlier than expected, with Yallourn in Victoria already announcing a 2028 closure mid-March in favour of investment into a giant battery. Renewable capacity will need to grow at an unprecedented pace in order to fill the void, and this presents unique challenges for grid reliability, security, and affordability – with both near-term and long-term implications.