We are in the early stages of a whole-of-economy energy transition away from fossil fuels and towards energy from renewable sources. We are on the precipice of the largest shift in how we use energy since the industrial revolution.

Globally, over 75% of new electricity capacity is from solar and wind.  In Australia, it is around 99%.

Transportation is shifting towards electric vehicles, and heating is moving away from gas towards electric heat pumps.  Industry is investing in replacing coal in metal processing with hydrogen, to create green steel.

Yet, there remain many misconceptions about renewable energy: that it is expensive, takes up too much land, can’t produce enough to meet demand, and can’t be relied on 24/7.

In this event, hosted by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ASTE) with the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy & Disaster Solutions (ICEDS), we address all these misconceptions. We show that renewables are now the lowest-cost form of electricity, which can easily meet the required demand for all our energy, not just electricity. With its abundant renewable energy resources, Australia is extremely well placed to lead this energy transition.

Speakers
Professor Ken Baldwin FTSE
Professor, Research School of Physics; inaugural Director, former ANU Energy Change Institute (now incorporated into ICEDS); founding Director, ANU Grand Challenge: Zero-Carbon Energy for the Asia-Pacific

Professor Kylie Catchpole FTSE
Deputy Director, School of Engineering, Australian National University