Energy Briefing
Summary
Australia’s electricity grid is increasingly experiencing “curtailment,” where renewable energy generation is deliberately reduced because supply exceeds demand. This is driven by a massive surge in renewable energy, particularly rooftop solar, which at times pushes spot electricity prices to zero or negative levels. While curtailment represents a loss of potential clean energy, experts view a modest amount as an inevitable feature of a grid transitioning to renewables. Large-scale battery storage is seen as a critical solution to absorb excess power for later use.
Key Points
- Curtailment Defined: The deliberate reduction of energy output from generators, either due to grid capacity limits or because low electricity prices make production uneconomical.
- Primary Cause: A rapid increase in renewable energy generation, especially from rooftop solar, which can create a massive oversupply, particularly on sunny, mild days.
- Impact on Generators: Some large-scale solar farms on the east coast are losing up to 30% or more of their potential production to curtailment.
- Batteries as a Solution: A significant pipeline of grid-scale battery projects (over 8 GW in the next 12-18 months) is expected to drastically reduce curtailment by storing excess daytime solar energy for use at night.
- A New Normal: Experts suggest that a small amount of curtailment is inevitable and not necessarily wasteful, as the marginal cost of generating excess solar power is nearly zero.
能源简报
总结
澳大利亚的电网正越来越多地经历”限电”，即由于电力供应超过需求，可再生能源发电被故意削减。这是由可再生能源，特别是屋顶太阳能的大规模激增所驱动的，这有时会将现货电价推至零甚至负值。虽然限电代表了潜在清洁能源的损失，但专家认为，在向可再生能源过渡的电网中，适度的限电是一个不可避免的特征。大规模电池存储被视为吸收多余电力以备后用的关键解决方案。
关键点
- 限电定义：有意减少发电机的能源输出，原因可能是电网容量限制，或是因为电价过低导致生产不经济。
- 主要原因：可再生能源发电的快速增长，特别是屋顶太阳能，可能在阳光充足、气候温和的日子里造成巨大的供应过剩。
- 对发电商的影响：东海岸的一些大型太阳能农场因限电而损失了高达30%或更多的潜在发电量。
- 电池作为解决方案：大量电网级电池项目（未来12-18个月内超过8吉瓦）预计将通过储存白天多余的太阳能供夜间使用，从而大幅减少限电。
- 新常态：专家指出，少量的限电是不可避免的，并且不一定是浪费，因为产生多余太阳能的边际成本几乎为零。
Original Article Link: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-10/renewable-energy-spilled-as-generation-outgrows-demand-/105929716