The details were announced in the ABARE report Electricity generation: major development projects – April 2009 listing, released today by Phillip Glyde, ABARE Executive Director.

“The additional capacity of these completed projects will contribute to meeting the anticipated increase in Australia’s electricity demand over the medium and long term,” Mr Glyde said.

The electricity generation projects list details 123 projects, of which 22 are at an advanced stage (defined as being under construction or committed to). The advanced projects have a combined generating capacity of 4792 megawatts. This new capacity is equivalent to 10 per cent of Australia’s total generating capacity.

These projects are widespread, with at least one advanced project in every state and in the Northern Territory.

Non-renewable electricity generation projects account for around 84 per cent of the total committed additions to capacity. Investment interest is strong in natural gas and coal seam methane fired generation, accounting for 81 per cent of the announced capacity of advanced non-renewable electricity generation projects.

Wind powered energy accounts for more than 80 per cent of the committed additions to renewable energy capacity. These projects have an average capacity of 90 megawatts and are expected to provide peaking power primarily in Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia.

In the six months to April 2009, there were 14 new projects added to the list including 10 wind powered projects.

“The significant number of wind powered projects at both an advanced and less advanced stage suggests that this energy source could account for an increasing proportion of Australia’s power generation capacity,” Mr Glyde noted.