Canberra is planning to fast-track the construction of the world's largest solar and wind farm on a 6,500 sq km site in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The region is more typically known as a source of liquefied natural gas.
Two new reports, from global energy consultancy Wood Mackenzie and Sydney-based Climate Energy Finance, show that China is building wind and solar at twice the rate of the US and Europe combined, and also leading the way with huge energy storage installations.
In Australian terms, it's the equivalent of using solar panels near Perth to power homes in Sydney. Mr Buckley said China's approach was similar to the Australian one of developing regional "renewable energy zones" for large-scale electricity generation.
It says in a new report, How China became the global renewables leader, that the giant economy is on track to build 230 gigawatts of wind and solar power this year at a cost of $US140 billion ($210 billion), compared with 75GW for Europe and 40GW for the US. A gigawatt is the size of a small coal-fired power station.
Instead of nuclear, solar is now intended to be the foundation of China's new electricity generation system. Authorities have steadily downgraded plans for nuclear to dominate China's energy generation. At present, the goal is 18 per cent of generation by 2060.
Wood Mackenzie expects China to continue to command 80 per cent of the global supply chain for solar energy until at least 2026.