Last updated on August 2nd, 2026 at 12:02 pm

Griffith S, 2022, The Big Switch, Black Inc, Sydney.

Fresh from publishing Electrify in 2021, a plan for decarbonising the US economy, Saul Griffith has returned to Australia after 20 years. Earlier this year, the Big Switch was published to give Australia its own plan to transform its economy to zero carbon. At the heart of Griffith’s plan is to take advantage of Australia’s high solar irradiation levels and strong coastal winds to generate immense amounts of electricity to replace our dependence on coal and gas for electricity production. The Big Switch is an evidence based plan to explain how we can convert to a zero carbon economy in one generation (20 years). Griffith sees this conversion process as a simple substitution process where fossil fuel inputs are replaced with renewable energy inputs. 

Griffith does this by exhaustively analysing Australia’s residential, commercial and industrial energy use, then demonstrating how we can harness the continent’s renewable potential to replace the fossil fuel inputs which power our economy.  In the scheme of energy potential, electricity stands out as a high quality source of power. Griffith points out that in the home, devices powered by electricity deliver better energy efficiencies. For example, a home using a modern reverse cycle air conditioner can heat and cool a home using less energy. The substitution here is removing the use of natural gas to heat in winter.

Parts, chapters and sections

Chapter 1: The luckiest country (p. 1)

With low population density, and extraordinary renewable resources, Australia has the easiest path of any developed country to zero emissions (p. 1)

Chapter 2: Urgency and emissions (p. 15)

Only a wartime-style emergency response will avoid climate calamity…We must move more agressively than free-market economics can achieve. (p. 14)

Chapter 3: Energy (p. 27)

The energy we use in our daily lives is the main source of our emissions…We can drastically reduce our emissions by replacing fossil-fuel-burning machines, like power plants, as well as demand-side machines, like gas water heaters. (p. 27)

Chapter 4: Australia’s energy options (p. 35)

Australia is a vast, sparsely populated country with diverse and abundant clean energy resources, far more than we need. Solar will be the dominant form of renewable energy, followed by wind (p. 35)

Chapter 5: Electrify (almost) everything? (P. 68)

Electrified appliances and vehicles are our secret weapons in the fight against climate change. Thermodynamics tells us that we can run the same country we do today using less than half the energy, just by electrifying our machines. (p. 68)

Chapter 6: Cheap and getting cheaper (p. 79)

Renewable enery is already cheaper than fossil fuels in many cases. Increasing production rates further cuts the cost of a technology. Making enough renewable energy, batteries and electric vehicles to address climate change will more than halve the cost of them. (p. 79)

Chapter 7: Electrifying our castles (p. 89)

Household emissions make up the largest chunk of emissions in our domestic economy. Electrifying our homes will slash our emissions while saving households money on energy bills. (p. 89)

Chapter 8: Crushed rocks – the export economy (p. 111)

Australia exports a proverbial shit-ton of fossil fuels every year, for far less profit than you think…Australia is rich in the very materials the world needs for the energy transition, and we should invest heavily in that capacity, for our sake and the planet’s. (p. 111)

Chapter 9: Why politicians and regulators matter (p. 127)

The right government policy can help us save money, slash emissions and get to an abundant future faster. We lead the world on rooftop solar policy – in regulations, certification, and financing. (p. 127)

Chapter 10: Financing fossil freedom (p. 157)

Long-term finance will be critical for homes and businesses to afford the upfront costs of electrification, which will ultimately save them money in the long run. (p. 157)

Chapter 11: So long, and don’t kill the fish (p. 163)

Climate change isn’t the only environmental emergency; there’s also polution, plastics, and the biodiversity crisis. We should more actively consider solutions such as mechanisms to promote smaller cars, more public transport, and fewer roads. (p. 163)

Chapter 12: An abundant Australia (p. 167)

This revolution isn’t just for city folk. Everyday Australians are already winning and we could help them win more. (p. 167)

Where to find

borrow

The South Australian public library network holds multiple copies. Although not within Alexandrina libraries, it is available as an inter-library loan: See Source at Libraries SA.

buy

The Big Switch is available through the publishing house, local bookstores, and online resellers. See WorldCat | The big switch : Australia’s electric future for more book details.

Related video

2022 Australia institutue interview with saul griffith

2026 ABC Australian Story

When Australian Story first met inventor Saul Griffith in 2023 he was on a mission to electrify the world, one suburb at a time. He’d been making great progress in the US and was bringing his electrification dream to Australia, showing that people power could drive genuine climate change action. Although political changes in the US have tested his optimism, back home his own community is forging ahead with its ambitious Electrify 2515 project. (ABC: Australian Story 2026 | Down to the wire: Can Saul Griffith’s electric dream become a reality?)

This 30 minute video by ABC’s Australian Story focusses on the work Saul Griffith has been achieving despite the strong head winds of conservatism which have swept across the USA. Concentrating on communities within Australia is one way of providing examples of how it is possible for society to decarbonise.