South Australia Targets 100% Net Renewable Energy Generation by 2030

South Australia has set a target of 100% net renewable energy generation by 2030 and is well on track, having increased renewable energy's share of generation from 1% in 2007 to 68% over 15 years. The state, which declared a climate emergency in May 2022, has shut its last coal-fired generator and is now investing over AUD 750 million in new hydrogen infrastructure through its Hydrogen Jobs Plan.

South Australia, home to just under 2 million people, switched off its last coal-fired power generator in 2016 and now has approximately 40% of homes with rooftop solar panels — the highest uptake in Australia and globally. The state leads Australia in residential home battery uptake, supported by state subsidies and low-interest loans through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. A key milestone was the 2017 development of the Hornsdale Power Reserve, the world's first 100 MW grid-scale battery, built by Tesla and Neoen, with a further 50 MW added in 2020.

South Australia's renewable energy transition has been linked to economic innovation and job creation. The state has established the Tonsley Innovation District on a former car manufacturing site and developed Lot Fourteen in Adelaide as a global innovation precinct. In 2022, the Hornsdale Power Reserve became the first battery storage facility approved by the Australian Energy Market Operator to provide inertia services to the National Electricity Market — a function historically performed only by gas and coal-fired generators.

The government's AUD 593 million hydrogen power plant near Whyalla — which includes 250 MWe of electrolysers, 200 MW of power generation, and purpose-built storage — was planned for commissioning by December 2025. South Australia has also secured AUD 70 million from the Australian Government's Clean Hydrogen Industrial Hubs programme for a hydrogen hub at Port Bonython. The state's experience in transitioning from fossil fuel dependency to renewable leadership is being tracked through CDP's States and Regions disclosure programme as a model for other subnational governments.

Key figure — AUD 593 million hydrogen power plant under construction near Whyalla