Is the ACT Running on 100% Renewable Electricity?

( Written 21 January 2022)

I am confused. I have been reading articles spruiking up ACT’s wonderful performance on the renewable electricity front. The ACT only produces about 5 % of its energy needs. According to SBS News on January 1, 2020:

The rest is drawn from the National Energy Market, which is overwhelmingly powered by non-renewable energy sources like coal and gas.

So for every watt of ‘dirty’ energy that Canberra draws from the grid, it pays to feed the same amount of ‘clean’ energy back into the system.

While 21 per cent of those payments are mandatory under the national Renewable Energy Target scheme, the ACT government pays the remainder voluntarily, at a cost that is expected to peak next year at around $5.50 per household per week.

The renewable energy the ACT purchases is drawn from solar and wind farms spread across the Territory and four other states.

 A close look at http://opennem.org.au shows that while South Australia and Tasmania may have some renewable electricity to spare now and again, imported energy from Victoria and New South Wales would come principally from fossil fuels. Both Tasmania and South Australia also rely on some imported electricity.

This seems to be a big game of smoke and mirrors.  If ACT buys renewable electricity from other states, then those states have less for themselves. Money might change hands but the overall CO₂ production arising from that day’s electricity generation remains the same.

I would prefer that Canberra showed integrity and indicated just what type of sources really light up the city.

OR am I too old- fashioned preferring fact instead of fancy words?