New South Wales

Telecommunications giant Telstra has continued it transition to renewable energy, signing a long-term agreement to purchase electricity from the Crookwell 3 Wind Farm being built near Goulburn in New South Wales.

South Australian transmission company ElectraNet on Monday announced it will invest $457.4 million to deliver the its section of the Project EnergyConnect, the high-voltage electricity transmission interconnector between South Australia and New South Wales.

Australian technology company RayGen Resources has received funding to build a 3 MW/50 MWh ‘solar hydro’ power plant. Described by ARENA as the “first of a kind,” it is being lauded as one of the largest and lowest cost storage projects undertaken in the country. Energy giant AGL has also come onboard and will assess whether the technology would be suitable for its soon-to-retire Liddell facility.

Lightsource bp, the solar arm of oil major BP, has reached financial close on its 107 MW West Wyalong Solar Farm in New South Wales and its 214 MW Woolooga Solar Farm in Queensland, bringing the company’s Australian pipeline to over 1.5 GW (DC) and exhibiting the strength of green investment strategies.

Australia’s largest renewable energy zone is one step closer to fruition with the New South Wales Government calling for registrations of interest from developers of solar PV, wind and energy storage projects.

New South Wales’ Productivity Commission has called on the state to reform its energy and water regulations, among other recommendations, in the White Paper report published this week.

The New South Wales government has today launched a renewable Renewable Gas Certification Pilot, with the aim of sparking a new energy market for clean gas in Australia.

A microgrid research project taking place in four farming communities located in New South Wales and Queensland. Over 50 smart meters are collecting real-time energy data to determine models and microgrid solutions to help farmers struggling with high electricity bills, and to help the struggling network of energy infrastructure.

A new study commissioned by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation has indicated renewable hydrogen is already approaching cost competitiveness with that produced using fossil fuels but some in the industry have declared the government-owned green bank’s figures are much too conservative.

In the twelve months since its solar systems were installed, Wagga Wagga City Council saved over $46,000. Given the success, the Council tells pv magazine Australia it is now planning an additional 500 kW system.