“Despite the hundreds of billions of dollars being spent on net zero, along with all the media and political hype; wind and solar remain a blip on the energy radar and are simply incapable of powering a 21st century economy like Australia’s,” said Cian Hussey, Research Fellow at the Institute of Public Affairs.
Today, the IPA released new analysis based on the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water’s own data on the sources of Australia’s energy consumption. The analysis reveals;
- Hydrocarbon fuels (coal, gas, and oil) still provide more than 90 per cent of Australia’s energy consumption as of 2023-24 (most recent data).
- Solar and wind provided just 4.8 per cent of all Australia’s energy needs.
- In the first two years of the Albanese government, the growth in the energy consumption from hydrocarbon fuels was double the growth in ‘renewable’ alternative energy consumption.
- As a share of Australian energy consumption, hydrocarbon fuel declined only marginally, from 91.2 per cent in 2021-22 to 90.7 per cent in 2023-24.
“Even the federal government’s own figures show the sheer dominance of coal, gas, and oil. Yet it continues to push hoax fuels like hydrogen, and expensive and unreliable wind and solar energy,” Mr Hussey said.
Hydrocarbon fuel’s share of Australian energy consumption
The IPA’s research focuses on energy consumption, rather than the narrow measure of electricity generation. Energy consumption captures all elements of energy use in Australia, from households, industrial use, and vehicles including trucks.
“It’s time for the federal government to admit that the gig is up. Despite wasting billions on its net zero inspired wind and solar rollout, opposed by hundreds of communities across the nation, the overall penetration of these energy sources is pitiful,” Mr Hussey said.
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water notes that “[the] largest reduction in energy use volume in 2023-24 occurred in the manufacturing sector, which fell 74 PJ (7 per cent) due in part to business closures leading to lower output of major metals and petrochemical products.”
“The major contributing factor to the small decline in use of coal, gas, and oil has been the deliberate and premeditated decimation of Australia’s once mighty manufacturing sector,” said Mr Hussey.
Manufacturing sector energy consumption, 2000-01 to 2023-24
“Maintaining net zero requires turning a blind eye to the significant economic, social, and humanitarian costs it is causing. As the Productivity Commission recently acknowledged, Australia is pursuing this policy even though our emissions do not have any impact on the global climate,” Mr Hussey said.
“IPA research shows that every 12 days China emits more carbon than Australia does in an entire year. We are seeing the de-industrialisation of Australia happening in real time, and the outsourcing of critical manufacturing to hostile foreign powers such as China.”
The data in this research note is taken from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s Australian Energy Update 2025, released on 22 August 2025. According to DCCEEW, this “is the authoritative and official source of energy statistics for Australia to support decision making and help understand how our energy supply and use is changing.”
To download the IPA’s previous research click here.
