Sources of Electricity

How We Make Electricity

Electrical energy is produced from many different energy sources. Some of these energy sources are renewable and others are non-renewable.
Most of the electricity used in Australia is made from power plants that burn fossil fuels to create steam. The main type of fuel used is coal, because it allows large amounts of electricity to be produced in one place.
Coal currently accounts for over 70 per cent of Australia’s electric power. Electricity is generated through coal-fired power stations. Coal is a non-renewable source which means it will eventually run out. It is important we preserve our coal resources and look for more environmentally friendly ways of producing electricity.
There are other ways of generating electricity by using natural resources that can be replaced or renewed without harming the environment or contributing to the greenhouse effect. 
Presently 89 per cent of Australia’s electricity is generated from burning fossil fuels, 74 per cent from coal and 15 per cent from natural gas. Renewable energy is used to generate 11 per cent of electricity. Of those renewable energy sources hydropower is the biggest contributor contributing around 6 per cent of total electricity. The remaining 5 per cent comes from a mix of sources including wind, bioenergy and rooftop solar.

Explore the current mix of energy sources converted into electricity here on the Origin Energy website.
Of course most people would like to see a more environmentally friendly mix of energy sources transformed into electrical energy but at present fossil fuel sources are the mainstay of electricity in Australia. The mix of energy sources to convert into electrical energy is changing.