Having clocked a decade as the Clean Energy Council’s chief executive, Kane Thornton has become one of the most respected voices in Australia’s energy transition. He sits down with Energy Source & Distribution to talk about what shaped his determination to advocate for Australia’s renewable future, and the indelible milestones achieved so far.
With close to two decades of experience in energy policy and leadership, Kane Thornton has advocated for and helped shape many of policies critical to Australia’s renewable energy transition.
With a Master’s degree in Social Science and a Bachelor of Information Technology, and a keen interest in new technologies, his career began with a coveted position at IBM.
“It was an incredible experience and gave me an understanding of the power of technology,” Thornton explains.
“From there, I became interested in the role of policy to drive investment in clean technology, at a time when renewable energy was becoming the next major technology frontier.”
This led to roles as a senior manager and advisor with Hydro Tasmania and executive officer at Renewable Energy Generators Australia, as well as a range of advisory and board roles with government and non-government organisations in the clean energy and sustainability sectors.
Related article: NEM sets new records for demand and renewables output
He joined the Clean Energy Council as director of strategy and operations in 2010 before quickly taking on the role of deputy chief executive, and then CEO in 2014.
As CEO of the peak organisation for renewable energy in Australia, Thornton has been involved in some of the most significant energy policy developments of our time.
“It’s been quite the roller coaster, with some great highs and some lows,” he says.
“We had a carbon price in the energy sector, then we didn’t. We designed a comprehensive National Energy Guarantee that had universal political support, which got dumped.
“The real highlight has been the ability of the industry to push forward. Whether that’s been coming together to address the challenges of grid connection, developing guidelines for how we engage and partner with First Nations communities and most importantly progress the rollout of new generation such that we doubled the amount of renewable energy in Australia over the past five years and have smashed through 4 million rooftop solar homes.
“Certainly, in the past couple of years, we have witnessed a drive and determination among governments, industry and investors to get Australia’s clean energy transition on track, and our outlook is only getting stronger.”
Depending on the day and the headlines, it’s easy to swing between feelings of hopelessness and buoyant optimism when it comes to the energy transition. I ask Thornton about his outlook on how the transition is unfolding and its effect on our contribution to climate.
“The latest climate science is clearly cause for much concern. For my own well-being and motivation, I tend to focus on what I can have impact over and that’s accelerating the energy transition here in Australia. And from this, I draw a huge amount of optimism. We have doubled the amount of renewable energy in just five years, are almost at 50% and speeding toward 60%. Renewable energy is the single biggest source of abatement in Australia and so it is and will continue to do the heavy lifting. But that’s only part of the story,” he says.
“In late 2024 alone, we celebrated 4 million rooftop solar installations across Australia, as well as the fact that renewables have reduced emissions from the electricity sector by over a third since 2015, compared to if we’d have stuck with the fleet of coal-fired power stations commissioned at the time.
“Momentum is on our side, but we cannot afford to rest on our laurels or risk delaying this once-in-a-generation reform of our energy system and with it, our economy.”
With the government and Opposition at clear odds over the nation’s energy strategy, how can we navigate the ideological gap in leadership so as not to derail the progress made so far?
“A strong degree of bipartisan support from state and territory governments of all stripes working with the current federal government has been one of the bedrocks of stronger progress in Australia’s clean energy transition in recent years,” Thornton says.
“In a cost-of-living crisis, many Australian households and businesses are concerned about their energy bills. The key to addressing these concerns is developing and implementing sensible, evidence-based policies aimed at both bolstering investor and industry confidence in building more large-scale clean energy projects in Australia, as well as building on our world-leading uptake of rooftop solar and consumer energy resources.”
As someone with a keen understanding and appreciation of technology, Thornton believes Australian innovation can meet the complexities of the energy transition head-on.
“Ours is a sector that is at the cutting edge of technological innovation and advancements designed to improve the efficiency and affordability of energy for all Australians,” he says.
“For instance, we know that as technology continues to improve with rooftop solar systems, batteries and other consumer energy resources entering the Australian market, we have seen upfront costs of these systems come down and payback periods continuing to fall.
“In many ways, the rooftop solar system has become the modern-day Hills Hoist or Victa lawnmower—an essential for everyday Australian households looking for value on their energy bills and greater control and independence in their electricity consumption.”
Of course, there are many hurdles to overcome in order to achieve our legislated target of 82% renewables by 2030.
Related article: Clean Energy Council appoints O’Keefe as spokesperson
“There are many factors affecting a timely transition, from navigating approvals and assessment processes across jurisdictions, to consulting closely with local communities, to building the workforce needed to build the lowest-cost energy system needed to meet future demand, just to name a few,” Thornton says.
And while Clean Energy Council is focussed on bringing together industry, investors, and governments at every level to resolve key issues of importance, the power for real progress ultimately lies in the hands of the people.
“In 2025, the Australian people will go to a Federal Election, which will prove pivotal for the continued progress of our energy transition, amid competing visions for what the future of our energy system looks like,” Thornton says.
“The Clean Energy Council is leading from the front in ensuring that all Australians can know the facts about what the energy transition will mean for their household bills and for the economy and we will have more to say about this soon, as the election draws closer.”
