The New South Wales (NSW) Government has launched a new Renewable Energy Planning Framework aimed at accelerating renewable project approvals, increasing investment security, and driving economic growth in regional communities.
This comprehensive suite of guidelines and tools aligns with the state’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, which sets goals for emissions reduction and infrastructure development, as revealed in a news release.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Penny Sharpe, emphasised the significance of the initiative: “NSW is leading a once-in-a-generation upgrade of the electricity network, building the infrastructure we need to keep the lights on and put downward pressure on prices.”
“We are working across government to reduce barriers to investment and deliver lasting benefits to regional communities.”
In response to local concerns about renewable projects’ transparency and management, the Framework introduces five guidelines to structure renewable energy development in the state:
- Wind Energy Guidelines: Outlines best practices for site selection, visual impacts, and eventual decommissioning.
- Transmission Guidelines: Sets standards for route selection, community consultations, and visual assessments.
- Solar Energy Guidelines: Updates decommissioning procedures and integrates aspects from the broader framework.
- Benefit Sharing Guidelines: Promotes equitable distribution of project benefits within local communities.
- Private Agreement Guidelines: Provides landholders with considerations for negotiating contracts with renewable developers.
This framework is expected to deliver over $400 million in support for community and government initiatives through benefit-sharing mechanisms.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, Paul Scully, highlighted the broader impact: “Greater certainty and transparency over renewable energy assessment processes means more renewables, faster, cheaper electricity bills, and more jobs. It also means communities and industry know what to expect of the planning system.”
In addition to the guidelines, the NSW Government released the Renewable Energy Transition Update, tracking the progress of initiatives aimed at building a clean, affordable, and reliable energy network.
Under the Minns Labor Government, 29 renewable energy and transmission projects have been approved, adding 5.7 gigawatts (GW) of generation capacity and 6.3 GW of storage.
Minister Sharpe added, “Having a clear, transparent planning system will pave the way for a reliable and clean energy system.”
The new Framework has been developed in consultation with industry stakeholders and community representatives, with insights gathered during a public exhibition period that ran from November 2023 to January 2024.
Minister Scully stated, “It is critical that we continue to work collaboratively with communities and industry to minimise impacts, develop effective solutions where challenges exist, and provide support where it’s needed, which is why the addition of a Benefit Sharing Guideline is so important.”
