Clean energy tracker
Make informed energy decisions
Your knowledge, your choice
It's great to avoid using large appliances, like dishwashers, dryers and coolers, if you can. But if you have to use them, our clean energy tracker can help you decide when.
By opting for times when renewable sources are relatively higher in the grid, and when the demand-to-supply ratio is average or low, you are making an informed decision about when to use energy.
Together, small changes to when we use energy can make a difference.
Check out the clean energy levels for your state
Choose your state from the Select state dropdown menu and follow the clean energy levels throughout the day.
Victoria's energy mix
Sometimes, the chart will show high, but the recommendation is to wait to use your large appliances. This happens when the demand on the electricity grid is high or supply of electricity is low at the same time.
Clean energy level is currently high.
Clean energy level is currently medium.
Clean energy level is currently low.
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| Time (AEST) | Clean energy level | Recommendation |
|---|
New South Wales’ renewable energy target
Queensland’s renewable energy target
South Australia’s renewable energy target
Victoria’s renewable energy target
| Year | Renewable energy target |
|---|
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Uungula Wind Farm
Kingaroy Wind Farm
Lincoln Gap Wind Farm
Murra Warra Wind Farm
The Uungala Wind Farm will power an estimated 170,000 homes, create 400 jobs and save a predicted 1.1 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
The Kingaroy Wind Farm will power an estimated 21,000 homes, create 100+ jobs and save a predicted 174,300 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
The Lincoln Gap Wind Farm will power an estimated 155,000 homes, create 130+ jobs and save a predicted 600,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
The Murra Warra Wind Farm will power an estimated 250,000 homes, create 400+ jobs and save a predicted 1.3 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
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Sunraysia Solar Farm
Western Downs Green Power Hub
Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park
Glenrowan West Solar Farm
The Sunraysia Solar Farm will power an estimated 50,000 homes, create 100 jobs and save a predicted 430,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
The Western Downs Green Power Hub will power an estimated 206,000 homes, create 300+ jobs and save a predicted 864,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
The Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park will power an estimated 180,000 homes, create 200 jobs and save a predicted 400,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
The Glenrowan West Solar Farm will power an estimated 41,000 homes, create 350+ jobs and save a predicted 315,000 tonnes of carbon emissions every year.
Frequently asked questions
We describe the renewable energy level as being high if the levels are equal to or greater than the upper quartile of the average. The levels are described as low if the levels are equal to or less than the lower quartile of the average, and the levels are described as medium if they are between the lower and upper quartile.
The clean energy tracker compares the current and predicted clean energy levels in the electricity grid to the average clean energy level in the grid over the last 12 months (“the average”) based on Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) data. Predictions for future levels are based on the Australian Unconstrained Intermittent Generation Forecast (UIGF).
Renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind farms, have a lower carbon and pollutant output than non-renewable energy sources, such as coal or gas fired power plants. The carbon emissions attributable to the energy grid are lower at times when there is a higher clean energy level than when there is comparatively less renewable energy powering the grid.
As demand (relative to supply) increases, so does the wholesale price of energy. Because of this correlation, we use the wholesale price of energy to indicate the current demand-to-supply ratio.
Demand might be higher than normal due to the weather. Higher temperatures typically lead to more people using coolers, which leads to increased demand for energy. Sometimes issues or faults can occur with existing sources of energy generation, which reduces the overall supply of energy in the grid. This means that the demand relative to supply is higher, which can also lead to higher wholesale energy prices.
Very high demand-to-supply ratios (which can occur when there are major faults with existing energy sources) can also lead to other issues, such as the possibility of blackouts.
When the wholesale energy price is high, the higher prices incentivise more non-renewable energy sources to be switched on. Accordingly, a time of higher demand generally means that non-renewable energy sources will soon be supplying energy into the grid.
Telstra doesn’t financially benefit from short term wholesale price fluctuations.