A month after damaging storms tore down one in all Victoria’s main transmission traces, the state authorities will immediately introduce legal guidelines taking management of planning for brand new routes and locking in annual funds of $8000 per kilometre to farmers and landowners who host towers.
In February, wild winds introduced down six transmission towers west of Melbourne and triggered the shutdown of the state’s greatest coal-fired energy station.
Power Lily D’Ambrosio will introduce a invoice in parliament establishing VicGrid, an company which can management all planning and session on future transmission traces within the state. Solely initiatives which have been overseen by VicGrid might be put to tender.
Energy traces got here down within the You Yangs, south-west of Melbourne, following wild wind gusts final month.Credit score: Jason South
The transfer comes after a prolonged marketing campaign from farmers in Victoria’s west who’ve opposed the routes for the Western Renewables Hyperlink and a second connection on the border of Victoria and New South Wales.
Each have been proposed to raised join the grid to main renewable vitality zones and the Australian Power Market Operator estimates Australia will want 10,000 kilometres of latest and upgraded transmission by 2050.
The invoice can even lock in funds to landowners who host vitality infrastructure.
They are going to obtain $200,000 per kilometre of latest transmission hosted which shall be listed and paid over 25 years.
A second piece of laws will alter public land guidelines to permit offshore wind builders to acquire long-term tenure on areas wanted to help their initiatives.
“Victoria is present process a once-in-a-generation vitality transition. We’re making the neighborhood central to this and doing issues otherwise to ensure it’s carried out proper,” D’Ambrosio stated.
“We’re ensuring vitality infrastructure is delivered in a manner that reduces impacts and supplies advantages for the neighborhood and encourages investments that may maintain the lights on and safe Victoria’s vitality future.”