New South Wales

Compulsory acquisition letters have been sent to landowners along the route of the Central-West Orana transmission link this week by the state’s Renewable Energy Zone planner, EnergyCo. It marks the beginning of the formal negotiation process for the transmission line, which has yet to be put on public exhibition.

Analysis conducted by Cornwall Insight Australia reveals that certain coal plants in New South Wales may benefit from delaying their retirement, following the release of new plans for the VNI West transmission project.

The New England megaproject just became even more mega, and is now set to house a 1.4 GW / 2.8 GWh battery – taking the crown for Australia’s biggest battery. Developer ACEN Australia says the NSW government has approved its expanded battery proposal, which is set to go in next door to its 720 MW New England Solar project.

GemLife, which describes itself as “luxury resort living for the over-50s,” has set up its own Virtual Power Plant (VPP), and is set to invest $75 million in coming years to rollout the VPPs across more than 10,000 homes in its property portfolio on Australia’s east coast.

The Clean Energy Regulator has, for the first time, sought to disqualify a solar installer from the small-scale renewable energy scheme (SRES), effectively Australia’s solar rebate program. It has also commenced civil proceedings against a solar and electrical installation company and its two directors.

The Victorian government has signed off on a preferred development plan for the contentious VNI West transmission project that will connect the Victorian and New South Wales electricity grids and promises to unlock upwards of 3.4 GW of new renewable generation capacity.

The numbers behind headlines of billion dollar cost blowouts and delays to New South Wales’ energy transformation appear foggy at best, with unexamined sources seemingly leading to widespread misreporting.

As part of its long-term plan to transition from coal-fired power generation to clean energy New South Wales has launched another renewable energy tender seeking at least 950 MW of wind and solar capacity and 550 MW of long-duration storage.

Electricity retailer Zen Energy continues to grow its renewable energy portfolio, penning a long-term deal with Greek resources and renewables company Mytilineos to purchase power from its Wagga Wagga South Solar Farm in New South Wales.

Federal energy minister Chris Bowen has submitted rule changes to the Australian Energy Market Commission to begin reforming how transmission projects in Australia are approved – a process which has drawn wide ire. While Bowen says he is “fast-tracking” the changes, some say the reforms slated for November are minor and overdue.