Tool to monitor renewables momentum

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A new tool has been unveiled to track Australia’s progress in cutting carbon emissions and tackling climate change.

Launched on Wednesday by the Climate Council, the Momentum Monitor will track emissions reduction across Australia’s energy, transport and manufacturing sectors by collating publicly available data.

In launching the Momentum Monitor, the Climate Council released data the tool had already collected showing Australia’s clean energy transition was already well underway.

The monitor found renewables powered 40 per cent of the national power grid in the last year, with utility-scale renewables and storage now accounting for 32 gigawatts of capacity, up 12 per cent since July 2023.

Other figures released by the Climate Council include more than 240,000 rooftop solar installations and a 23 per cent rise in households using batteries alongside rooftop solar since the start of 2024 and there now being more than 160,000 registered electric vehicles on Australia’s roads.

Climate Council chief executive Amanda McKenzie said the figures highlighted the progress already made and how far the Australia’s clean energy transition can still go.

“Australian households and industries are jumping on opportunities to use readily-available, proven, technologies,” Ms McKenzie said.

“Most Australians don’t know that we are already powered 40% by renewable power. This monitoring tool will give the community ready access to this information and support good decision making,” she said.

“We’ve already made a lot of progress, and we can set our communities up for success by building on this to create a healthier, cleaner future for all Australians alive today, as well as every generation to come.”