Australia's largest anticipated Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) is said to be developed in the New South Wales (NSW) northeast with the announcement of New England REZ by the state government. The zone is expected to provide at least 8 GW of new network capacity.

The announcement on New England Renewable Energy Zone is the first step in validating the synchronized energy zone as per the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020.

It pans out the expected network capacity, infrastructure, and geographical area that will make up the New England REZ which is centered on the northern city of Armidale and extends east to Ebor and west towards Uralla and takes in Glenn Innes to the north and Walcha to the south.

James Hay, Chief Executive Officer, Energy Corporation of NSW, said that the state government is driving further and reaching the key milestones on its Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap with this zone, which has taken place amid the announcement of the Central-West Orana REZ.

He said that REZs are modernly equal to a power station, combining the low-cost renewables with backup energy from storage and transmission to deliver reliable, clean, and cheap energy.

Matt Kean, Energy Minister, said that the 8 GW capacity New England REZ is the major commitment to clean and cheap energy in the state's history.

This new REZ is a key part of the Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap and the country they expect to deliver around $10.7 billion in private investment, 8,000 megawatts of new capacity, 1,250 construction jobs, and around 830 operational jobs to the local economy, he added.

Furthermore, the New South Wales (NSW) Government is counterfeiting ahead with the plans of bringing 12 GW of RE and 2 GW of online storage by 2030.

Source Credit - https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2022/01/31/nsw-declares-massive-8-gw-renewable-energy-zone/