Queensland achieved a new instantaneous record for wind and solar share on Saturday, reaching 77.7 percent of state demand at 11:25 AM. This milestone, primarily driven by nearly 4 GW of rooftop solar output accounting for 46 percent of state demand, marks the first time such a record has been broken since October last year and notably, the first under the new Liberal National Party (LNP) government that assumed office nearly a year ago.

Despite this peak achievement, Queensland maintains the lowest average renewable energy share among Australian states, recording just 31 percent over the past 12 months. This contrasts sharply with South Australia's 75 percent, Victoria's 46 percent, and Tasmania's hydro-dominant 83 percent, placing Queensland even behind New South Wales' 35 percent. The LNP government has publicly committed to repealing the previous Labor government's ambitious renewable energy targets—50 percent by 2030, 70 percent by 2032, and 80 percent by 2035—and has introduced significant planning barriers for new wind and solar projects. Concurrently, the government has pledged billions to sustain its aging coal-fired power plants.

This policy reversal has already led to the cancellation of approvals for projects such as the large Moonlight Range wind facility, drawing criticism from landowners and developers. The Saturday peak was largely propelled by rooftop solar, complemented by large-scale solar contributing 27.5 percent and wind power 3.5 percent to the state's demand. At the time of the record, approximately 2 GW of surplus capacity was being exported to New South Wales, indicating robust generation. According to GPE NEMLog, this 77.7 percent figure surpassed the previous record of 77.5 percent set on October 20 last year, just a week before the Crisafulli government's election victory. Earlier on Saturday, at 9:05 AM, large-scale solar also set a new record share of 34.9 percent, exceeding a previous benchmark established under the former Labor administration.

As Queensland transitions into spring, a season typically characterized by favorable wind and solar conditions and moderate energy demand, industry observers anticipate further records in renewable energy penetration. The ongoing commissioning processes for major projects, including the 930 MW MacIntyre wind facility—set to become the state's largest—and the new Clarke Creek facility, are expected to significantly bolster the state's renewable generation capacity in the coming months, potentially pushing instantaneous renewable shares even higher despite the prevailing policy headwinds.