The New South Wales Government’s new Transmission Infrastructure Strategy provides much-needed political leadership which will ultimately lead to cheaper power and maximise access to the state’s clean energy resources.
Clean Energy Council Chief Executive Kane Thornton said improved transmission would help to unlock new energy projects worth billions of dollars which are currently hindered by both network constraints and some regulatory obstacles such as the Regulatory Investment Test for Transmission.
“The strategy should lead to more flexibility across the National Electricity Market (NEM), making power available at the lowest cost wherever it is most needed” said Mr Thornton. “The focus on servicing designated Energy Zones will ensure that new investment in poles and wires will be undertaken more efficiently to areas where significant clean energy resources are located. The renewable energy projects either underway or about to start in New South Wales add up to more than $4.2 billion and almost 2000 direct jobs. A carefully implemented transmission infrastructure strategy will ensure that these projects are just the beginning of a new wave of investment in renewable energy”.
Thornton added that planning for transmission is a critical and often-overlooked part of the move to a 21st century energy system and that the New South Wales Government should be congratulated for making this a priority. The state has some of the best energy resources in the world, from the Snowy Hydro project which was completed 50 years ago to the dozens of new wind, solar and storage projects that are now planned across the state.
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