New South Wales Greenlights 7 GW Pipeline in Central-West Orana REZ

• NSW grants grid access to ten wind, solar and battery projects totaling 7.15 GW in the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone, unlocking billions in private investment.

New South Wales has unlocked the next wave of its clean-energy build-out, awarding coveted grid access to ten renewable projects that will anchor the state’s first Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) in Central-West Orana.

The deals, announced on Thursday by Climate Change and Energy Minister Penny Sharpe, clear a path for 7.15 GW of new capacity—enough to light up roughly 2.7 million homes each year. “These projects will channel billions in private capital into regional New South Wales and accelerate our transition away from ageing coal plants,” Sharpe said.

Four developments already hold planning consent and can move quickly once the 500-kV backbone transmission line is energised. They include the 1.3-GW Liverpool Range Wind Farm near Coolah—set to be one of the largest onshore wind facilities in the southern hemisphere—plus the Spicers Creek Wind Farm, Birriwa Solar Farm and its paired battery system. The remaining six ventures, a blend of large-scale solar arrays, standalone batteries and hybrid plants, are working through the state’s approval process and community consultations.

Granting “access rights” inside a REZ is more than an administrative box-tick. It guarantees each project a physical plug into new high-capacity wires and a smoother ride through network connection studies—a benefit developers typically struggle to secure on Australia’s congested grid. In exchange, participants agree to strict milestones on financing, construction, and community benefit sharing. If they drag their feet, the government can reassign the slot.

Central-West Orana is the first of five REZs mapped out under the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, a 20-year plan that aims to replace retiring coal generators with at least 12 GW of renewables and 2 GW of long-duration storage by 2030. Construction of the REZ’s transmission spine, led by EnergyCo, is expected to begin late this year and create more than 5,000 regional jobs at its peak.

Local councils have welcomed the progress but stress that engagement must extend beyond ribbon-cutting. “We need long-term investment in roads, housing, and workforce training so regional communities reap lasting rewards,” Warrumbungle Shire Mayor Ambrose Dodd noted after the announcement.

With federal and state policymakers under mounting pressure to keep the lights on as coal exits, Thursday’s allocations mark a concrete step forward. If timelines hold, the first electrons from Central-West Orana should reach homes and businesses before the decade’s end, underscoring NSW’s ambition to become Australia’s clean-energy powerhouse.