The NSW Government says its new Electricity Strategy will uncover the state’s renewable energy potential and lower household electricity bills.
Energy Minister Matt Kean said that as coal-fired generators reach the end of their lives, alternatives have to come online.
“By focusing on reliability, we can ensure that we can get the benefits of renewables without the reliability problems we have seen in other states,” Kean said.
According to the government, households across NSW are expected to save $40 on their annual electricity bills under the plan.
New Renewable Energy Zones
The plan is to create three Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) in the state’s Central-West, New England and South-West regions. The Central-West will get the first REZ, with plans already underway for a 2022 construction start.
One of the concerns of the Australian Energy Market Operator is that not enough is being done to integrate renewable energy like wind and solar power into the grid. A remote solar farm, for example, is ineffective unless it can get its power to customers via a transmission network.
By creating renewable energy zones, infrastructure investment is focused, with each investment attracting more investment.
The NSW Government believes its renewable energy zones will create large-scale renewable energy and storage projects. It expects they will attract $23 billion in private sector investment and up to 2,000 construction jobs each year.
Solar power for the home
Meanwhile on the home front, rooftop solar panel installations continue in Australia. With the help of federal and state solar rebates, residential solar panels now sit on the roofs of 2,239,781 homes.
In a nation of approximately 9 million homes, that means 25% of Australians have solar power on the roof. Broken down state by state, rooftop solar figures show the Sunshine State is a clear winner:
QLD – 652,429
NSW – 512,822
VIC – 425,856
WA – 311,521
SA – 262,583
TAS – 35,763
ACT – 25,127
NT – 13,680
If you want to cut electricity bills and help your state climb the solar ladder, contact Solaray Energy. We know the solar industry backwards and our experts are equipped to help you make the best choices to get solar into your life.
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