Hay readies for investment boom as South West REZ is officially declared
The South West REZ is expected to receive up to $2.8 billion in private investment by 2030.
The South West REZ was formally declared by the Minister for Energy under section 19(1) of the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020 (the Act) and published in the NSW Gazette on Friday 4 November 2022.
The third of five planned Renewable Energy Zones being managed by EnergyCo on behalf of the NSW Government, this Renewable Energy Zone is expected to support over 2,000 construction jobs in the region.
In October 2021, the NSW Government received 49 registrations of interest, representing 34 gigawatts (more than 13 times the intended 2.5 gigawatts capacity) from potential generation and storage projects. The number of responses to the ROI reflects the strong level of interest in the REZ and helps ensure only the most competitive projects will be chosen through the Consumer Trustees competitive tender processes.
Information received through the ROI will be considered alongside ongoing consultation with local stakeholders and will help to inform the development of the South West REZ.
EnergyCo have consulted with network planners, including the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), Transgrid and Essential Energy to specify the network infrastructure that makes up the REZ.
