The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics - Bureau of Rural Sciences report, Electricity generation: major development projects - October 2010, says that a coal seam gas-powered plant and a natural gas plant added 630MW and 120MW of this additional capacity, while the remaining 150MW was sourced from two wind-powered plants.
"Gas and wind energy are set to make the next major contributions to Australia's electricity supply, accounting for over 80 per cent of electricity generation capacity committed to come online over the next two years," ABARE-BRS deputy executive Paul Morris said.
At the end of October, 16 projects were at an advanced stage of development with an estimated generation capacity of 2297MW and a capital cost of $4.4 billion.
Of the six non-renewable based projects at an advanced stage of development, four are natural gas-fired with total capacity of 873MW while one is coal seam gas-fired.
The 10 renewable energy projects were dominated by eight wind-power developments which, with total capacity of 1064MW, represent more than 90% of advanced-stage renewable electricity generation capacity.
Meanwhile, ABARE-BRS said energy projects accounted for 70%, or $92.9 billion, of the planned capital expenditure in Australia's minerals and energy sector of $132.9 billion.
It added that most of the expenditure on advanced projects would be spent in Western Australia with seven oil and gas projects valued at about $65.4 billion, while $27.8 billion would be spent in Queensland, more than half of which relates to BG Group's recently committed $15 billion Queensland Curtis LNG development.
