Arabic version: قد تتأخر جنوب أستراليا عن هدف الطاقة المتجددة لعام 2027

According to ABC News, South Australia may reach its target of 100 per cent net renewable electricity generation later than 2027, with Energy Minister Tom Koutsantonis saying a move into 2028 would be acceptable if the state maintains its ambition.

Renewables, mainly solar and wind, accounted for 77.1 per cent of South Australia’s net electricity generation in 2025, while gas made up most of the remainder, federal data shows. The former Marshall Liberal government set a 2030 target, before the Malinauskas Labor government brought it forward to 2027 in February 2024.

The government had cited a $593 million hydrogen power plant planned for Whyalla as supporting the earlier target, but shelved the project a year later. Renewable development also slowed as projects faced delays linked to construction of the SA-NSW interconnector, according to Renew Economy founding editor Giles Parkinson.

With the interconnector completed, projects under construction or holding development approval have risen to nearly $32.5 billion in value, up from $19 billion last year, government figures show. They include a 288-megawatt Tilt Renewables wind farm and a 346-megawatt Mid-North project funded by Neoen.

Flinders University lecturer Dr Lin Han said long-term progress mattered more than reaching the goal in a particular year, while warning that the final stage would require storage, transmission and backup capacity as well as wind and solar. She said reliability, affordability and lower emissions should not be sacrificed to meet the target.