Australia's Western Australia (WA) state government today announced a target for renewable energy to account for 75pc of generation on the Southwest Interconnected System (SWIS) by the July 2030-June 2031 fiscal year, alongside measures to support industrial energy users and manage the transition away from coal-fired electricity.
The target forms part of the government's new Plan for Affordable Energy, which is intended to place downward pressure on electricity prices as WA prepares for the retirement of state-owned coal-fired generation by 2030 and responds to rising costs associated with ageing coal assets.
Modelling by the state's Department of Energy and Economic Diversification, assured by consulting firm Boston Consulting Group, found industrial electricity costs could rise by 89pc by 2032 without government intervention.
The plan combines increased renewable energy deployment with battery storage and domestic gas supply, which the government described as the lowest-cost pathway for maintaining reliable electricity supplies while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Renewable energy's share of the state's electricity mix has risen to 40pc in 2025 from 14pc in 2017, the government said. It has also committed A$2.5bn ($1.76bn) to Clean Energy Link transmission infrastructure and delivered more than 1.4GW of grid-scale battery storage.
The target would also accelerate WA's electricity-sector decarbonisation, although the state does not have a legislated economy-wide emissions reduction target. Coal and gas accounted for 27.5pc and 29.7pc of electricity generation in 2025, respectively, according to energy data platform Open Electricity, which aggregates data from the Australian Energy Market Operator (Aemo). Coal's share has fallen significantly from a peak of 57.8pc in 2013, while gas accounted for 33.5pc of generation that year.
Additional renewable capacity is already being procured through the federal government's Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), which opened a 1.8GW tender for WA in August, with successful projects scheduled to begin operating by 2030.
The plan includes a A$150mn Made in WA Energy Affordability Investment Program, which opened for applications on 27 October and will provide low-interest loans of up to A$15mn for manufacturers to install solar and battery systems and upgrade equipment to reduce energy costs.
