South Australia has become the first state to sign a deal aimed at providing renewable energy to every household in Adelaide. 

The state’s new Renewable Energy Transformation Agreement with the Federal Government aims to ensure the construction of new renewable energy infrastructure.

The agreement addresses the increasing demand for energy and the need to replace ageing infrastructure, some of which dates back fifty years. 

It aims to overcome barriers faced by developers, communities, and governments in delivering renewable projects. 

Under the agreement, the Albanese Government will underwrite the development of at least 1000 megawatts of new wind and solar projects in South Australia. 

This capacity is sufficient to power all Adelaide households. Additionally, the Federal Government will underwrite an additional 400 megawatts of new storage capacity, bringing the total supported storage capacity in South Australia to at least 600 megawatts. 

This ensures that renewable power is available around the clock for homes and businesses.

South Australia will also establish a bespoke grid reliability mechanism and benchmark, tailored to maintain reliability standards through new projects and technologies. 

Both governments have agreed to work on policies, practices, and processes to enhance community engagement and improve social and economic outcomes from the energy transition. 

This includes increasing First Nations participation in planning, building, and operating new assets, and streamlining planning and approval processes to ensure timely project completion by 2030.

Shared responsibilities include enhancing transmission capabilities, improving skills and workforce outcomes, increasing energy efficiency for homes and businesses, supporting community energy resources, and strengthening renewable energy supply chains.

The federal government says similar agreements are nearing finalisation with other states and territories.