This means liable entities (generally electricity retailers) are required to surrender approximately 33.2 million large-scale generation certificates (LGCs) to meet their Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET) obligations for 2023.

Liable entities that do not surrender sufficient LGCs to meet their obligations are required to pay a non-tax deductible shortfall charge, with a refund available in certain circumstances.

Contents

• About the renewable power percentage
• Setting the renewable power percentage
• Calculating the renewable power percentage
• The default renewable power percentage
• Annual targets and renewable power percentages

About the renewable power percentage

The LRET aims to incentivise the development of renewable energy power stations by meeting the annual target for renewable electricity set out in the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (the Act). The annual target increased each year until 2020 and is now constant at 33,000,000 megawatt hours (MWh) to 2030.

The number of LGCs each liable entity is required to surrender each year is calculated by multiplying the amount of wholesale electricity (relevant acquisitions) they acquire (minus exemptions) by the RPP for that compliance year. Liable entities surrender LGCs annually to the agency to meet their Renewable Energy Target obligations.

The Quarterly Carbon Market Report provides regular information on the markets the agency administers, including LGC creation trends.

Setting the renewable power percentage

Each year, the agency recommends a percentage to the Minister for Climate Change and Energy using data or estimates for the matters the minister must consider, as set out in the Act. These matters are:

• renewable electricity required for the year (the annual target)
• estimated relevant acquisitions of electricity for the year
• the cumulative adjustment (the difference between previous annual targets and liabilities)
• estimated exemptions.

The minister may also consider other matters when determining the RPP. The RPP must be set by regulation by 31 March of the setting year, otherwise a default percentage is applied.

Renewable electricity required for the year

The Act sets out the amount of renewable electricity required for each year. The 2023 target is 33,000,000 MWh.

Estimated relevant acquisitions of electricity for the year

Relevant acquisitions of electricity are wholesale electricity purchases by a liable entity, as defined in the Act. Relevant acquisitions of electricity are estimated based on the sum of acquisitions reported by liable entities in the REC Registry 2 years prior to the setting year, rounded to the nearest 100,000 megawatt hours (MWh).

Data 2 years prior is used because compliance and assessment activities for that year have been completed and the number is unlikely to change. This process assumes electricity demand remains relatively stable, in line with the Australian Energy Market Operator's predictions.

Estimated relevant acquisitions of electricity for 2021 used in the 2023 RPP calculation are 211,400,000 MWh.

Cumulative adjustment

The cumulative adjustment equals the sum of all annual targets from 2001 to 2022 minus the sum of all liable entity obligations (in MWh) for the same period. It ensures liable entities are required to surrender only the number of LGCs needed to meet the legislated renewable energy targets.

Using liability and not the number of surrendered LGCs ensures; a liable entity's obligation is not affected by another entity not meeting its obligation. Voluntarily surrendered LGCs do not affect liable entities' obligations.

For the 2023 RPP the cumulative adjustment is 206,106 MWh. This is a positive number, which means the sum of annual targets exceeds the sum of annual obligations by this amount.

Estimated exemptions

Businesses receive exemption certificates (in MWh) for electricity used in emissions-intensive trade-exposed (EITE) activities. Businesses exchange these certificates with their electricity retailer to reduce electricity costs. The electricity retailer surrenders exemption certificates to the agency to reduce their RET liability.

Each year we estimate the EITE exemptions and deduct this amount from the acquired electricity estimate for that year. Like relevant acquisitions, data 2 years prior to the setting year are used because compliance and assessment activities for that year have been completed and the number is unlikely to change.

Estimated EITE exemptions for 2021, used in the 2023 RPP calculation, are 36,300,000 MWh.

Calculating the renewable power percentage

The matters the minister must consider when setting the RPP are be expressed by the formula:

In 2023 RPP calculation is:

The default renewable power percentage

If the RPP is not set by 31 March in the setting year, a default value automatically comes into force. To date the default RPP has not been applied.

Annual targets and renewable power percentages

The following link is for a data set that includes RPPs and changes to LRET targets.

documentAsset:LRET 2001-2030 Annual targets and renewable power percentages

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