Australia

This archive collects solutions-journalism stories and milestones from Australia — covering advances in conservation, public health, Indigenous rights, clean energy, and more. Each entry highlights progress worth knowing about.

Wind turbine, for article on renewable energy record

South Australia smashes renewable record using 100% solar and wind for full week

By / / Good News For Humankind

Renewable energy powered all of South Australia for seven straight days at the end of December 2023, the longest 100% clean run the state has ever recorded. Wind turbines did most of the heavy lifting, while rooftop solar on homes across Adelaide and the coast chipped in nearly a third of the total. The Hornsdale Power Reserve, a giant lithium-ion battery built in just 100 days back in 2017, kept everything steady when the wind eased or the sun dipped. Skeptics have long asked whether a modern grid can really run on wind and sun alone, without coal or gas waiting in the wings. South Australia just spent a week answering yes — and other regions are taking notes.

Solar panels on a building with sun in background, for article on Australia solar power

Solar power in Australia outstrips coal-fired electricity for first time

By / / Good News For Humankind

Australia solar power just pulled off something historic: for a few minutes after noon on a sunny August Sunday, panels across the country generated 9,427 megawatts — edging past coal for the first time since the national electricity market began two decades ago. South Australia ran entirely on wind and sun during the window, and Victoria produced more renewable electricity than the whole state could use. Researchers credit a sweet spot of clear skies, mild temperatures, and low weekend demand, but the deeper story is a grid quietly tilting toward clean power. Brief as it was, the moment hints at what’s becoming normal — and what’s possible for energy transitions everywhere.