Domestic energy use fell by 0.7 per cent to 5,691 petajoules (PJ) in the 2023-24 financial year, according to data released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. 

Luisa Ryan, ABS head of environment statistics, said, ‘Household use of energy fell by 3.4 per cent to 980 PJ in the 2023-24 financial year, driven by a 15.1 per cent fall in natural gas usage. Electricity usage remained flat, with most other energy products recording small decreases.’ 

Energy net use by industry fell by 0.1 per cent to 4,711 PJ. This reflected lower energy use in the manufacturing industry, which fell 6.1 per cent. This fall was offset by rises in the transport industry (up 10.6 per cent) and the commercial and services sector (up 3.2 per cent). 

‘Renewable energy production in Australia continued to grow in the 2023-24 financial year, with solar energy production rising by 15.9 per cent and now accounting for 51 per cent of renewable energy,’ Ms Ryan said.

There were small falls in the production of other renewables, including wind energy (down 1.8 per cent) and hydro energy (down 10 per cent).

Energy exports

Energy exports rose by 3.1 per cent to 17,927 PJ in 2023-24, driven by black coal exports.

Black coal remained Australia’s largest energy export, growing by 4.8 per cent to 9,906 PJ. 

Liquefied natural gas (LNG) remained our second biggest energy export despite falling for the second year after a decade of strong growth, down 0.8 per cent to 4,481 PJ.

Further information on national estimates of energy assets, physical supply and use of energy products, and the monetary use of energy products by industry can be found in Energy Account, Australia 2023-24.