Australia Now Has So Much Solar Power That It’s Giving Electricity Out for Free

Australia generates so much solar energy that it now provides it for free.

like The Guardian Reports indicate that residents in three of the country’s states – New South Wales, southeast Queensland and South Australia, representing about 14 million people, or nearly half the country’s population – will get at least three hours of free solar energy every day, even if they do not have panels installed on their roofs.

The country’s federal government has even helpfully suggested that Australians should use this period to use up their most electricity-hungry appliances, from air conditioners to electric car chargers – a renewable energy boon that less sunny parts of the world can only dream of.

This initiative is designed to ensure that excess power is not used during peak times. As countries make strides in building solar farms and more households install solar panels, there is plenty of energy available. However, storing all this power for later use remains a major logistical challenge.

To balance energy use during the day, when solar generation peaks, the government hopes to encourage residents to shift their peak usage – which is not traditionally in the middle of the day – to when there is a surplus.

Supporters of the move say this could make the electricity grid more stable. It can also benefit those who do not own a home.

“People who are able to move their electricity use to a zero-cost energy period will benefit directly, whether they have solar panels or not, and whether they own or rent them,” Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said in a statement. “And more people [who] If we accept the offer and transfer its use, the greater the benefits of the system resulting in lower costs for all electricity users.

Bowen hopes that 82% of Australia’s energy needs will be met with renewable energy by 2030, with emissions reduced by 43% compared to 2005 levels.

On the other hand, the situation in the United States looks very different these days. Last month, the Trump administration quietly canceled the nation’s largest solar project as part of a staunchly anti-renewable energy agenda.

But this is not all bad news. Despite the White House’s new focus on liberalizing emissions standards and undermining green energy adoption, the United States remains on track to build a record amount of new solar capacity this year.

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