Despite Tasmania's claim of being fully sufficient in clean energy, renewables generation is on track for a 15-year low. The driest year since 1934 has forced hydro to conserve water by turning to gas power and mainland imports.
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00:00Tasmania proudly claims it's 100% renewable, powered mostly by hydroelectric energy.
00:09But what if it just doesn't rain?
00:11So far in 2024, Tasmania's renewables have only been able to meet 79% of our energy needs.
00:18In the last two years it was 93%, and in 2021 the state produced more power through renewables
00:24than it actually used.
00:26Hydro Tasmania says its catchments have had their driest year since 1934.
00:31It means the state's big batteries, the dams, aren't charged up.
00:36And to conserve water, we've been more reliant on other forms of energy.
00:40While solar and wind power have been stable, hydro generation is down by nearly a quarter
00:45on the average of the last five years.
00:47In June, Hydro Tasmania fired up the gas-powered Tamar Valley Power Station.
00:52It's met about 5% of the state's needs for the entire year.
00:56That's the most since 2017, and tripled the average of the past five years.
01:01The undersea Basslink cable allows Tasmania to buy or sell power to the mainland.
01:06This year there's been a lot more buying than selling, the extra making up 16% of our energy
01:11demand.
01:12Obviously, being a weather-dependent generator, dry years can be very challenging, but we've
01:18got a number of different levers we can pull to manage that.
01:20Hydro Tasmania says while a year like this is abnormal, climate change could affect its
01:25operations going forward.
01:26Variability is going to increase, we're going to have dry years, we're going to have wet
01:30years.
01:31Tasmania has a legislated target of 200% renewable energy by 2040.
01:37But a new wind farm hasn't opened since Granville Harbour in 2020.
01:41With several others stuck in the planning phase, the TCCI says our renewable status
01:46is slipping away.
01:47We need this energy now.
01:49This energy will turn off coal-fired power stations in the mainland, but more importantly
01:52see Tasmanians through.
01:54We are in an energy crisis that needs to be fixed.
01:57Energy Minister Nick Diagon says the state government's working on streamlining approvals
02:01processes, including by introducing a renewable energy approvals pathway.