Australia looks set to have a huge year for renewable energy, with over twenty large clean-energy projects either in the middle of construction or due to begin this year. This will create an unheard of programme of clean-energy works which will create nearly 3,000 direct jobs and release over $5 billion AUD of investment in Australian industry.

The findings have been released by the Clean Energy Council, which found that over 2250 MW of commercial-scale green energy projects would be built this year. This will be the most on record in fifty years, since the Snowy Hydro Scheme which was one of the most iconic of Australia's nation-building developments in history.

The CEO, Kane Thornton, said that 2017 would be huge, with over twenty sizeable projects in progress thanks to powerful cost savings achieved in the green energy field. This has been supported by unprecedented support across the political parties for the 2020 RET.

The job opportunities created by the new projects are expected to be spread across the country, and extra economic benefits are expected to spread out. Additionally, the investment in solar and wind is expected to provide valuable domestically produced energy at times when demand is particularly high - such as during the recent New South Wales heat waves.

New South Wales and Queensland are expected to benefit particularly strongly from the projects, closely followed by Victoria and South Australia. Much of the investment has been facilitated by territory and state governments, who have also done much to restore investor confidence in green energy.

The news is particularly welcome after a long period of destabilisation after the Abbott government. The current government is being lobbied to confirm plans for green energy support after 2020.