Victorian Transmission Plan to keep state's energy transition on the move

“The Clean Energy Council welcomes VicGrid’s proposed amendments to the final Victorian Transmission Plan as an important step towards boosting industry and community confidence in the state’s energy transition.

“We welcome the announcement of six onshore Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) and one shoreline REZ, which include a moderate expansion in the proposed footprint of these clean energy regions. While these REZs account for approximately 7.9 per cent of Victoria’s total land area, the total footprint of development is expected to comprise less than one per cent.

“Renewable energy and storage are vital for boosting the affordability and reliability of Victoria's electricity supply as coal-fired power stations come to their end of life. With thoughtful planning and implementation, we can also turn this into a major economic development opportunity for regional communities across the state.

“We are pleased to see that the final transmission plan acknowledges the need for flexibility and contingency for greater network hosting capacity in response to the potential for higher electricity demand over the years ahead, or a slower than expected development of the offshore wind sector. 

“There is an opportunity for the plan to support more efficient and predictable development within the renewable energy zones by offering streamlined environmental and planning assessment processes at a REZ level – at the very least with respect to cumulative impacts. This is an area of the plan that requires further development. 

“An important complement to this plan will be the treatment of clean energy projects that are located outside of the REZs, and we look forward to further detail from VicGrid in coming weeks about the proposed requirements that will apply to these projects for connecting to the transmission network through the Grid Impact Assessment process. 

“We also look forward to further guidance on the processes and/or triggers that will shape VicGrid’s determination of the size and locations of any future transmission augmentations beyond the current plan.  

“There are many details still to resolve, but today we are a step closer to a transmission plan that will enable industry and stakeholders to move forward with confidence.”

ENDS

For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact: 

Liam Straughan
Clean Energy Council Media Officer
+61 409 470 683