New England Renewable Energy Zone

The New England REZ was formally declared by the Minister for Energy under section 19(1) of the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020 (the EII act) and published in the NSW Gazette on 17 December 2021. 

View the Renewable Energy Zone (New England) Declaration Order.

The REZ declaration is the first step in formalising the REZ under the act and establishes EnergyCo as the infrastructure planner responsible for coordinating the development of the REZ. It also sets out the intended network capacity (size), geographical area (location) and infrastructure that will make up the REZ, and enables and sets the scope of key legislative functions under the act, including access schemes and REZ network solutions (referred to in the act as ‘REZ network infrastructure projects’).

As infrastructure planner, EnergyCo will make decisions such as assessing and recommending REZ network infrastructure projects and, if needed to maintain community support for the REZ, preventing generation or storage projects from connecting in a specified area within the REZ (if those projects have not received development consent).

The declaration follows an assessment of feedback received during the draft declaration exhibition period from 15 October to 12 November 2021. Minor adjustments to the geographical area have been made in response to the balanced consideration of proponent and community feedback. These amendments will also improve the delineation between areas captured within the REZ that are subject to potential future development and adjacent areas of national park and world heritage significance.

A stylised map of the specified geographical area of the REZ is included above for reference and accessibility purposes only. This stylised map does not form part of the declaration. The stylised map includes the existing 132 kV and 330 kV transmission infrastructure near and in the REZ as a geographical reference. You can download the GIS file of the New England REZ geographical area boundary in the location and maps section of this page.

In the future, the Minister may amend the declaration to expand the specified geographical area of the REZ, increase the intended network capacity, specify additional generation, storage and network infrastructure, provide further details and specifications or correct a minor error.

EnergyCo is inviting community and industry feedback on a proposed amendment to the New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) declaration.

We're proposing to update the REZ declaration to include a detailed description of the network infrastructure, including the energy hubs and transmission lines that extend outside the REZ geographical boundary to connect the REZ to the existing grid at Bayswater.

The amendment will ensure the declaration reflects our current planning for the New England REZ Network Infrastructure Project before the New England REZ Access Scheme is declared later this year.

The amendment won't change any features of the REZ, such as the geographical boundary or its network (transfer) capacity, or the New England REZ Network Infrastructure Project as set out in the New England REZ Scoping Report. The REZ remains legislated under the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020, with an intended network capacity of 8 gigawatts.

Feedback will help us understand if the updated REZ declaration is clear and whether any clarifications are required before the amendment is finalised.

Read the draft REZ declaration amendment

How to make a submission

We invite you to submit feedback on the proposed amendment by Thursday 3 September 2026. 

You can send a submission via email to [email protected] with 'Your name - New England REZ declaration amendment' in the subject line.

Make a submission via email