Central-West Orana REZ Infrastructure Planner Recommendation Public Report

22 May 2024

Project updatesRegulation and policy updates

As the Infrastructure Planner, EnergyCo has published its Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Infrastructure Planner Recommendation Public Report. This report is a crucial step in securing regulatory approvals for the project under the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020.

View the Public Report

The report outlines EnergyCo’s assessment and recommendations for the network infrastructure needed to connect renewable energy and storage projects within the REZ to the electricity grid. It provides the Consumer Trustee with recommendations on the network infrastructure projects that will form the REZ and the network operators to deliver them. The Consumer Trustee has accepted EnergyCo's recommendations and has authorised ACEREZ to carry out the project and Transgrid to undertake the enabling works.

Benefits of the Central-West Orana REZ

The Central-West Orana REZ involves the construction of new transmission infrastructure to enable generators such as solar and wind projects and energy storage providers in the REZ to connect to the electricity grid.

It is a key initiative under the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap to deliver clean, affordable and reliable energy to households and businesses across NSW. Once complete, the project will deliver at least 4.5 gigawatts (GW) of transmitted electricity.

The REZ is expected to deliver $3 billion of net benefits (net present value, real, $2022) to NSW electricity consumers to 2078. The project offers significant opportunities for the region and will:

drive economic growth and bring up to $20 billion in private investment by 2030
create local jobs, supporting around 5,000 construction jobs at its peak
integrate regional communities into the development of NSW’s sustainable energy future.

The Central-West Orana REZ will play a pivotal role in NSW’s transition to a clean energy future and help the State achieve its net zero targets.