Renewable energy in NSW wins big as Federal Government announces historic tender
The tender is expected to provide a minimum of 2.2 GW of renewable energy to NSW alone, enough to power over 1 million households.
The Federal Government has revealed plans for the largest single tender for renewable energy in Australian history as part of the Reliable Renewables Plan.
Scheduled for late May, the national Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) tender aims to target a considerable 6 GW of new variable renewable energy projects for the National Electricity Market (NEM).
Under this plan, NSW stands to benefit immensely, with a minimum of 2.2 GW of renewable energy earmarked specifically for the state.
The announcement builds upon the success of the first CIS/NSW Roadmap pilot tender conducted in 2023, which saw the delivery of six battery and virtual power plant projects with over 1 GW of capacity in NSW, creating 400 jobs in the process.
The Albanese and Minns Governments are working closely to streamline tender processes and ensure a coordinated approach to achieving renewable energy goals in NSW.
The inclusion of NSW projects in this first CIS tender will replace the scheduled Q2 2024 generation Long-Term Energy Service Agreements (LTESA) tender under the NSW Roadmap. Generation projects that are eligible for LTESA tenders will be eligible to participate in the CIS tender.
NSW will proceed with its scheduled Q2 2024 LTESA tender for long-duration storage infrastructure as well as processes to award access rights for NSW’s Central West Orana and South-West Renewable Energy Zones.
Both governments are also in the process of finalizing a Renewable Energy Transformation Agreement, which will outline further strategies and commitments to renewable energy adoption in NSW.
The Federal Government's commitment to reliable renewables extends beyond NSW, with plans to deliver 32 GW of new energy infrastructure across Australia by 2030. This transformation will see Australia's energy system shift to rely more on renewables, supported by gas, storage, and transmission.
