A REVOLUTION is taking place in Australia's electricity market - and wind is driving it.
Coal provides the vast bulk of the nation's electricity, but research released today shows that will change towards greater dependence on wind and natural gas.
The Federal Government's economic research agency - ABARE - has for the first time mapped out all energy projects which are in the pipeline.
There are 42 wind farms being developed, making up almost half the total number of energy projects.
Wind dwarfs other renewable sources such as wave, biomass and solar.
About a third of the total generating capacity of energy projects will come from wind, second only to natural gas for future energy projects.
New coal projects are well behind both gas and wind.
ABARE also mapped out energy projects, described as being at an advanced stage. More than half the new electricity generated will come from natural gas, while there is also strong investment in coal seam methane.
About a quarter of the projects are wind farms.
Fourteen per cent of generation capacity from advanced projects would come from renewable sources, ABARE found.
But this rises sharply to 37 per cent when considering all energy projects under development, including projects that are less advanced.
AAP
