He positioned projects like Blind Creek as essential to maintaining reliability and keeping electricity prices down as ageing coal-fired power stations retire.
Premier Minns emphasised the urgency of replacing retiring coal generation, warning that delays in new capacity would expose households and businesses to higher prices and increased system risk.
“If they close without replacement power in place, then electricity prices will rise. We have to build new generation.”
Sam Reynolds, CEO of Octopus Australia, outlined the many things that need to align to make projects like this happen. This includes global and local capital, which in this case is coming from international pension funds and superannuation funds, the right strategy, which Octopus has developed, support from the local community, and, critically, consistent government policy.
“Without that policy certainty, these projects simply cannot happen. Large investors need confidence before committing capital, and I want to thank the Premier for his leadership in maintaining consistent policy settings that have helped projects like this come to fruition.”
Premier Minns reinforced the importance of attracting high-quality developers and long-term capital, making clear that New South Wales is open for energy investment.
“We need to attract capital, and we want to support good companies like Octopus that invest back into communities and undertake proper consultation. So we’re very pleased to see this $900 million (USD 623 million) investment in New South Wales.”
The Blind Creek project combines a 300 MW solar farm with a 243 MW / 486 MWh battery, delivering firmed renewable energy that can be stored during the day and dispatched during peak evening demand.
“The project will support 300 construction jobs, and it’s great to hear Octopus plans to operate this asset for the long term.”
Reynolds underscored the organisation’s long‑term strategy, capital partnerships, and ability to execute complex hybrid projects at scale.
“This is global capital coming together with local capital, strong political policy and community support. Octopus is a long‑term owner, we will be here for the next 40 years.”
Reynolds highlighted Blind Creek’s broader significance:
“A project of this size produces enough electricity to power around 120,000 homes. With the battery, we can store that energy and release it during peak demand, which helps bring down power prices.”
Blind Creek’s hybrid design will play a critical role in replacing retiring coal generation while meeting growing demand from electrification and data centre growth.
Blind Creek forms part of Octopus Australia’s $20 billion development pipeline, providing a clear pathway for continued large-scale investment in Australia’s energy system
Reynolds outlined that the project’s agrisolar design enables a long‑established sheep‑grazing operation to continue.
“The project has been specifically designed to coexist with agriculture. This is a 160‑year‑old farm, and sheep grazing will continue on the land. We can produce energy while maintaining agricultural production side by side.”
With policy certainty, investor confidence and technical capability aligned, Blind Creek demonstrates how private capital and government can work together to deliver the next generation of reliable, large-scale energy infrastructure.
Read more about our Blind Creek Solar Farm and Battery project.
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