Map

Australia’s Coal Power Stations, Mapped

Click on a circle to find out more information about a power station, the energy it generates, emissions it produces, and its ownership.

Sources:
Data on power station capacities sourced from AEMO, CO2 emissions data from the Clean Energy Regulator X
Last updated October 2020

Australia currently has 19 coal-burning power stations.

  • On average, these stations are around 30 years old. 11 other coal-burning power stations have shut since 2012. Many stations are becoming increasingly unreliable, particularly during heatwaves.X
  • Coal electricity generation is the single biggest contributor to Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions, producing 26% of our total emissions in 2019.X Australia has one of the most polluting electricity grids in the world. We’re well behind other comparable countries in our pathway to move beyond coal – we are the only OECD country in the G20 that still relies on burning coal for more than half of our electricity supply.X
  • Annually, a single coal-fired power station can generate carbon emissions equivalent to 6 million cars on the road.X If Australia is to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, and meet our international commitments to tackle climate change, it will take more than changing individual habits — it will take a drastic change in the way we produce electricity.

Meanwhile, renewable energy generation continues to go from strength to strength:

  • Large wind and solar power stations are being built all over the country: over 3GW of new large-scale wind and solar generation has been added in the National Electricity Market in the last two years alone.X
  • In addition, there are now over 2.2 million households and businesses around Australia generating renewable energy from their own solar panels.X
  • Renewable energy is transforming our energy system: on any given day in 2019, renewable power generated up to a third of Eastern Australia’s power; in November 2019, it briefly provided 50% of the electricity supply.X

This is just a taste of what renewables are capable of: with greater policy certainty, more investment, and a top-to-bottom upgrade to our electricity grid, the sky is the limit. The sooner we move away from coal power stations, the sooner we’ll see a reduction in emissions and better outcomes on community health.