Persons that do not believe in Albo only have one eye.
Solar is energy for free, You can not get better than that, infrastructure takes time, you have no reason for argument until the outcome is complete.
4 million houses now have roof top solar and batteries are going gangbusters.
The final outcome will turn the tide in AU as a nation with the cheapest power in the world.
Electricity generation costs that cost nothing. Generation that markets in negative costings. Solar has no competition. The sun stands alone.

According to AI....

The Australian government has committed over $22 billion to support renewable energy initiatives in the 2024-25 budget, with additional investments planned to reach a total of approximately $40 billion towards becoming a renewable energy superpower. This includes funding for various projects and incentives aimed at boosting the renewable energy sector. international.austrade.gov.au energyfactcheck.com.au
Government Investment in Renewable Energy in Australia
Recent Budget Allocations

The Australian government has made significant financial commitments to support renewable energy initiatives. Here are the key figures from the latest budgets:
Year Investment Amount (AUD) Purpose
2023-24 $40 billion Support for renewable energy and digital economy
2024-25 $22 billion Future Made in Australia package for renewables
2024-25 $12 billion Rewiring the Nation program for electricity grid upgrades
2024-25 $3.2 billion Funding for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
2024-25 $10 billion Capacity Investment Scheme for renewable projects
Total Subsidies Over Time

From 2014 to 2023, the Australian government provided over $29 billion in subsidies to the renewable energy sector. This includes various federal and state schemes designed to promote the growth and maturity of renewable energy projects.
Key Programs Supporting Investment

Renewable Energy Target (RET): Encourages electricity retailers to source energy from renewables.
Capacity Investment Scheme: Underwrites contracts for renewable generation projects.
Clean Energy Finance Corporation: Offers concessional loans and financing for renewable projects.

These investments and subsidies aim to transition Australia towards a renewable energy superpower, enhancing energy reliability and supporting economic growth.
cis.org.au international.austrade.gov.au

According to AI...

Electricity prices in Australia have surged significantly, increasing by 27% above the consumer price index between June 2023 and June 2025, and by 206% since 2000. This rise is attributed to factors like higher coal and gas prices, the cost of integrating renewables, and aging infrastructure, despite the ongoing shift towards renewable energy. energytracker.asia
Increase in Electricity Prices in Australia
Overview of Price Changes

Electricity prices in Australia have seen significant increases in recent years, despite the push for renewable energy. The following table summarizes the changes in electricity costs:
Time Period Price Increase (%) Key Factors
Since 2000 206% Rising coal and gas prices, aging infrastructure
June 2023 - June 2025 27% Integration costs of renewables, market volatility
2025-2026 Forecast Up to 9.7% Regulatory price hikes approved by the AER
Regional Variations

Electricity prices vary significantly across different states:
State Average Cost (AUD/kWh) Key Characteristics
Victoria 0.264 - 0.335 Strong renewable supply, competitive market
New South Wales 0.264 - 0.372 Diverse energy sources, competitive pricing
Queensland 0.297 Regulated market, lower prices
South Australia >0.40 High reliance on gas, expensive transition costs
Impact of Renewable Policies

While the transition to renewables aims to reduce long-term costs, the short-term effects have included increased prices due to the costs associated with integrating renewable energy into the existing grid and the retirement of coal plants. The average household electricity bill is projected to rise slightly under new policies, but overall savings are expected in the long run as renewables become more prevalent.
ecoflow.com Wikipedia

Good article Graham Young thanks for the information. Kudos.

Canem Malum,

Thanks for laying that out. It's actually a great summary of the situation. But it doesn't support Graham's argument. It refutes it.

You've shown:

- The government is investing heavily in rewiring, storage, and firming capacity, because that's what's required when replacing firm coal generation with variable renewables. That's not a flaw, it's the plan.

- Prices have risen, but mainly due to fossil fuel volatility (coal and gas spikes), aging infrastructure, and the unavoidable costs of any major system transition. Renewables aren't free, but they're now the cheapest new-build generation (per the IEA, AEMO, CSIRO, and even your own links).

- The short-term price rise is acknowledged, but so are long-term savings as renewables scale, storage improves, and dependency on volatile fossil prices drops.

So yes, the transition is expensive upfront. But pretending that this cost is unexpected or proof that renewables are a "scam," as Graham suggests, is disingenuous. Every system upgrade in history - from copper to fibre, landlines to mobiles, steam to diesel - came with transition costs. That doesn't mean it wasn't worth doing.

And most importantly: none of this changes the central flaw in Young's piece - that he compares nameplate capacity (50 GW renewables) with output capacity (12 GW coal) as if they're interchangeable. They're not. Once you understand that, everything else he's arguing - about duplication, waste, and cost blowouts - falls apart.

Such a spectacular backfire!

Kudos.

John Daysh, there is no point arguing with someone who thinks that GW of renewables is nameplate capacity and GW of dispatchable is output capacity. In both cases I'm measuring the same thing. Different technologies have different capacity factors, and this depends on how often they are running which is determined by a variety of factors.

If I wanted to measure output capacity I would use the actual output of each system over a period of time.

Renewables require so much more capacity to deliver the same amount of power as dispatchables because they only reach their name plate capacity on occasion. Dispatchables can run at nameplate capacity most of the time.

The low capacity factor of renewables is the major problem which causes all the others. That's a major point in my article which you don't seem to understand. Dispatchables are not unreliable, renewables are.

Someone mentioned Singapore and solar. That's a dead duck for a number of reasons. Singapore is a country highly alive to the problems with China. They are not going to make themselves beholden to a long extension cord under the Indian Ocean for their power which could be cut at any time. The other problem, even more foreseeable, is that because of the time difference, we generate solar at a time in their day when they don't need it.