NSW Govt urged to speed up transmission

The Clean Energy Council has praised the NSW Government for its commitment to renewable energy zones and transmission — emphasising the importance of new transmission in creating a modern electricity grid that ensures clean power flows from renewable energy projects to customers.

The Council said the government’s work to date had resulted in the state becoming a leading light in Australia’s clean energy transformation with the development of the Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, Transmission Acceleration Facility and Renewable Energy Zones. This, in turn, has made NSW an attractive location for private investors in renewable energy.

While the Minns government has admitted that existing plans are delayed, the sooner this can be overcome, the Council said, the sooner clean, low-cost renewable energy could be delivered to customers.

Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton said delays in transmission development were hindering the transition to net zero and driving up power prices.

“These delays mean that right now, there is a greater reliance on unreliable fossil fuel generation and therefore higher costs than necessary.

Thornton said that bringing forward the transmission build would help to mitigate the effects of an earlier-than-expected coal exit.

“Time is of the essence. The NSW plan sets out a clear pathway for transmission investment that takes account of a range of future outcomes, helping to provide NSW energy customers with insurance against these effects and helping to accelerate the clean energy transition.

“Building a clean energy transition of such scale isn’t easy, but clear and deliberate planning, like that released by Minister Sharpe … is a critical piece of the roadmap,” Thornton said.

Image credit: iStock.com/wx-bradwang