NSW to fast-track renewable energy zones with US$856m grid investment

June 10, 2022
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The policy is expected to drive at least AU$14 billion in private transmission infrastructure investment. Image: C-Crete Technologies.

The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) will invest AU$1.2 billion (US$856 million) in new transmission lines and infrastructure over the next ten years to accelerate the connection of planned renewable energy zones (REZs).

The Transmission Acceleration Facility will drive at least AU$14 billion in private transmission infrastructure investment, according to NSW treasurer Matt Kean.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

“Energy prices are up because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and unplanned outages at coal-fired power stations. Fast-tracking the construction of renewable energy is the best way to reduce our exposure to these risks and take advantage of cleaner, cheaper power sources,” he said.

There are more than 50 large-scale renewables projects totalling around 16GW of capacity currently progressing through the NSW planning system, however many may never proceed without additional transmission lines, the state government said.

The Transmission Acceleration Facility will be included in NSW’s 2022-23 budget, due to be delivered on 21 June.

The first project to benefit from the facility will be the Waratah Super Battery, a 700MW/1,400MWh battery energy storage system designed to alleviate transmission line constraints, as reported by sister site Energy-Storage.news.

Welcoming today’s announcement, renewables association the Clean Energy Council said industry has identified transmission investment as one of the key barriers to accelerating the deployment of renewable energy in Australia.

“Getting transmission right is crucial in providing developers with the certainty they need to begin making the considerable investments in renewable energy and storage required to decarbonise our electricity system,” said the council’s director of external affairs, Arron Wood.

The NSW government earlier this week opened the registration of interest process for its Illawarra REZ, inviting project developers and businesses with large electrical loads to participate.

Illawarra is one of five REZs totalling 12GW of capacity that NSW is planning to create as part of the state’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap. The four other zones are planned for the regions of Central-West and OranaNew EnglandSouth-West and Hunter-Central Coast, with each receiving an overwhelming level of interest from developers.

Read Next

October 23, 2025
Spanish power electronics specialist Ingeteam has won a contract to supply inverters and control systems for European Energy Australia's 100MW Winton North solar-plus-storage project in northeast Victoria.
October 23, 2025
Powerlink Queensland is seeking federal approval to expand its existing 330kV Bulli Creek Substation in Southern Queensland to accommodate the grid connection of Genex Power's 775MW Bulli Creek solar PV power plant.
October 23, 2025
Queensland's rooftop solar systems have exceeded 5GW of output for the first time, marking a milestone in Australia's solar expansion.
October 22, 2025
The Queensland government has launched the Social Licence in Renewable Energy Toolkit, providing local councils in Australia with resources to navigate renewable energy project engagement and community consultation processes.
October 21, 2025
Australia's solar-plus-storage sector gained momentum with 725MW of solar PV approvals advancing across New South Wales and Queensland.
October 21, 2025
Luminous Robotics has successfully completed its first international deployment of AI-powered solar installation robots at Engie’s 250MW Goorambat East Solar Farm in Victoria, Australia.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany