Blackouts could hit eastern Australia by the middle of this decade if renewable energy projects are not scaled up as the country rapidly shifts away from its reliance on coal-fired power plants, the energy market operator said on Tuesday.
According to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), reliability gaps in energy transmission could occur in 2025 and then widen in 2027, when at least five coal power plants are scheduled to retire, reducing 13% of the NEM system.