Victorian Transmission Plan crucial to unlocking clean energy investment

The Clean Energy Council today welcomed the release of VicGrid’s 2025 Victorian Transmission Plan (VTP) and emphasised the importance of a strong grid and clear regulatory settings that will provide certainty for community and clean energy investors

Building new transmission infrastructure takes considerable time, and we think it’s critical that the REZ’s and associated infrastructure are sized appropriately to encourage the levels of generation we need for the future.

“We welcome the plan’s focus on providing certainty for communities, including community benefit arrangements, as well as providing clarity and confidence for the much-needed investment in new renewable energy generation and energy storage,” Mr Zuur said. 

“There is a lot of detail which needs to be considered and designed to ensure the plan delivers on these objectives. “This includes ensuring that the REZ’s have sufficient capacity to unlock the enormous requirement and potential for new generation and storage, and provide clear and fair approach to network access and treatment of projects that have been developed outside of the designated REZs,” he said.

The seven draft proposed onshore REZs that VicGrid has identified for Victoria as most suitable to host new onshore wind and solar generation over the next 15 years include: 

Central Highlands, Central North, Gippsland, North West, South West, Grampians Wimmera and Wimmera Southern Mallee. 

A proposed new shoreline REZ in Gippsland is also set out, as well as a designated area that enables offshore wind developers to determine suitable routes to the transmission connection hub, while minimising impacts on nearby towns and landscapes.

“Getting REZ design right is a difficult task and VicGrid and the Victorian Government are to be commended for their work on this to-date. The Clean Energy Council is committed to working collaboratively with VicGrid to get the design of Victorian REZs right over the coming months and years,” he said.

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:

Danielle Tricarico
Clean Energy Council Director of Media
dtricarico@cleanenergycouncil.org.au
+61 403 688 980