The energy sector has recorded significant drops in pollution production, according to the latest National Electricity Market data, while energy production by traditional high-polluting methods are declining.

Over the nine month period from July 2012 to March this year, energy generated by seven of the most emission-intensive power stations declined by 16 per cent when compared to the same period in 2011-12.

The reduction in emissions equates to about eight million less tonnes of greenhouse gas in national output.

Federal Minister for Climate Change, Greg Combet, said that the falls in emissions is evidence that the Federal Government’s carbon price and other energy efficiency programs are having a quantifiable effect.

“With significantly less brown coal-fired electricity being generated, more renewable energy and more lower-emission natural gas-fired power has been going into the national grid,” Mr Combet said.

The National Electricity Market has historically been dominated by coal fired generation which supplied 79 per cent of electricity output in 2011-12. Pollution from the National Electricity Market makes up around half of the emissions covered by the carbon pricing mechanism.

However since the carbon price started on 1 July 2012 renewable generation, particularly hydroelectric power, has increased by almost 30 per cent while coal-fired generation is down around 8 per cent compared to the same nine months of 2011-12. Natural gas generation is up 9.5 per cent.

The full data set can be found here