Location and maps
Recent updates
In May 2025 the Illawarra REZ Roundtable brought together energy experts, business leaders and community representatives to map out next steps for the REZ, including initial options that can be delivered by 2030.
At the same time, we've signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Endeavour Energy to jointly develop innovative network and battery solutions within the REZ.
What the REZ will deliver
The Illawarra REZ will integrate consumer energy resources such as rooftop solar systems, home batteries and community-scale batteries. We'll use spare government land and commercial roof space to minimise impacts on surrounding communities and the environment.
The Illawarra REZ will underpin the growth of new low carbon industries that could service both domestic and export markets as the world decarbonises and shifts towards green manufacturing.
Why the Illawarra region was chosen
The Illawarra region has unique features that make it ideal for a REZ:
- major energy, port and transport infrastructure already in place
- skilled workforce ready to support renewable energy projects
- potential for future renewable energy projects
The Illawarra REZ will strengthen the region's economy and support jobs for decades. The REZ will help local industry adapt and build resilience in the regional economy.
Working with the community
We'll engage with community, industry, local government and other stakeholders as the design and delivery of the REZ progresses.
The recent Illawarra REZ Roundtable brought together energy experts, business leaders and community representatives to map out next steps for the REZ, including initial options that can be delivered by 2030.
News about the Illawarra REZ
Released by: Minister for Energy and Climate Change and Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast
Regulatory information
Beginning in 2022, EnergyCo undertook a geospatial mapping analysis investigation of the Illawarra region to identify a boundary for the REZ. Read more about the methodology for defining the geographical area.
The Illawarra REZ was formally declared by the Minister for Energy under section 19(1) of the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020 and published in the NSW Government Gazette on 27 February 2023. View the Renewable Energy Zone (Illawarra) Declaration Order.
The REZ declaration establishes EnergyCo as the infrastructure planner responsible for coordinating the development of the REZ. As the Infrastructure Planner, we'll work with network operators to deliver any required upgrades to transmission infrastructure to connect renewable generation and storage projects to the grid.
The declaration sets out the intended network capacity for network infrastructure in the Illawarra REZ of 1 gigawatt. This will provide sufficient transfer capacity for existing and committed generation in southern NSW and the Illawarra to dispatch into the electricity grid.
The capacity of the Illawarra REZ may increase over time with the growth of emerging industries such as green hydrogen and green steel manufacturing.
We're consulting with network planners, including the Australian Energy Market Operator to specify the network infrastructure that makes up the REZ.
In summary, this is planned, new and existing network infrastructure in the specified geographical area. Interested parties should consult the full text in the declaration.
Further specified network, generation and storage infrastructure may be added to the declaration later. We'll update this website as further information and engagement opportunities become available.
Get in touch with EnergyCo
1800 118 894 (9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday)
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