Australia's utility solar sets records in three states in September; wind is flat or down

Victoria Shinder07 October 2026, 07:331 min read

Australia's large-scale solar and wind plants generated 5.44 TWh in September 2026, up from 4.99 TWh in August and 7% more than the 5.1 TWh of September 2025, pv magazine reported on 6 October, citing Rystad Energy data.

Solar records. Utility-scale solar output reached record highs in three states:

• Victoria: 276 GWh of solar, plus 1,250 GWh of wind, for 1,526 GWh in total, the largest state contribution;
• New South Wales: 841 GWh;
• Queensland: 645 GWh.

Curtailment. 22% of available solar generation in the National Electricity Market was curtailed in September, down from 26% a year earlier.

Wind. Wind generation was flat or down year on year in every state except Queensland, and about 86 GWh lower in total than in September 2025; around 13% of available wind generation in the NEM was curtailed.

Best performers. Acen Australia's 400 MW Stubbo Solar Farm in central west NSW topped the solar ranking with a 35% AC capacity factor, level with the 162 MW Columboola Solar Farm and the 204 MW Edenvale Solar Park. Among wind farms, Flat Rocks in Western Australia led with a 55% capacity factor, followed by two Tasmanian wind farms, Cattle Hill at 49% and the third-placed farm at 48%.