NSW Govt Opens ROI for 8 GW RE Zone in New England, Australia

The New South Wales (NSW) government yesterday opened the registrations of interest (ROI) process to invite generation, storage and network developers to be a part of the state’s second Renewable Energy Zone in New England (New England REZ), Australia.

The ROI will be open for six weeks from Thursday June 3 to Friday July 16, 2021. The online form can be accessed here.

The New England REZ will have an intended network capacity of 8,000 megawatts under the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020 (the Act) and is said to be fundamental to the successful delivery of the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap.

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This ROI process builds on the success of a similar process held for the Central-West Orana REZ in mid-2020. It will help the NSW Government understand the scale, location and types of projects considering connecting to the New England REZ.

Information provided through the ROI will ensure all projects are taken into account to inform the best timing, design and location of the New England REZ. The ROI process will complement other community consultation processes, including the New England REZ Regional Reference Group, to ensure the right projects are built in the right places.

The ROI process seeks information from proponents about existing and proposed energy infrastructure projects in the New England area. Responses to it will help inform the timing, design and location of the New England REZ. The information received will complement other community consultation processes to inform the next stage of the New England REZ, including providing crucial input on network staging and route.

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It is important to note that the ROI is not part of any competitive process for proponents to join the REZ. The government has made it clear that the process is strictly an information gathering and consultation exercise, and the state’s chance to learn about and adapt its designs to reflect investor and developer interest in the New England area. Participation, which is voluntary and not assessable, does not constitute a formal proposal to the NSW Government.