The New South Wales (NSW) state government in Australia has attracted more than 80 registrations of interest (ROI), representing a combined capacity of 34 GW, in response to its 8 GW New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) (see NSW Scouring Interest For 8 GW New England REZ).
After being 'swamped' with interest from renewable energy developers, State's Energy Minister Matt Kean said this shows huge investor confidence in the state's Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap.
"With this level of interest, we have the luxury of supporting only the best projects that benefit the community, maintain the highest and strictest development standards and maximize local renewable jobs and investment in the region," added Member for Northern Tablelands Adam Marshall.
Interested proposals will be assessed by the Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo) basis which next round of tender process will be announced. The government is currently working to run the 1st auctions for renewable energy projects across the state in 2022.
According to Kean, once the New England REZ is up and running, it will bring down electricity prices and provide landowners with new income streams while delivering around AUD 10.7 billion in investment and around 830 operational jobs, along with 1,250 construction jobs annually.
This is the 2nd REZ that has attracted so much interest for NSW as the previous 3 GW Central-West REZ was also oversubscribed, attracting 27 GW in response (see NSW Receives 27 GW Interest For 3 GW REZ).
According to the Energy NSW website, there are 2 more REZs planned – South-West REZ, and Hunter-Central Coast and Illawarra REZ, both of which are in the early stages of planning. In March 2020, NSW had said it aims to grid connect 17.7 GW renewable energy through 3 REZs to help the state achieve its net zero emissions target for 2050 (see New South Wales Targets 17.7 GW Grid Connected RE).