South Australia has close to half of Australia's wind power capacity, accounting for almost 20% of that state's electricity needs as of October 2010. By the end of 2011 wind power in South Australia reached 26% of the State's electricity generation, edging out coal-fired power for the first time. At that stage South Australia, with only 7.2% of Australia's population, had 54% of Australia's installed wind capacity.
Since coming into office in September 2013, the Abbott government has waged a war on wind power by destroying investment confidence, and then dismantling policies that supported renewable energy.