MP Adam Marshall supports REZ but not 'cowboy' development

Mr Marshall took to the floor of state parliament on Thursday, October 12 to speak about the development rush since the New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) was formally established in 2020.

"I was, as I am now, a big proponent for the renewable energy zone and I advocated strongly for it because in my view it was about bringing order to chaos," Mr Marshall said.

"Section 29 of the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020 gives NSW Energy Corporation the ability to make an order to deny proponents access to the transmission infrastructure before they have even entered into the planning system."

The purpose of the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020 is to coordinate investment in new generation, storage and network infrastructure in NSW.

READ MORE: New England REZ not up to scratch says Armidale think tank convener Maria Hitchcock

The Act gives effect to the NSW Government's Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, which sets out the policy framework for investment to deliver a modern electricity system and maintain an affordable, reliable, clean and sustainable electricity supply in NSW as the State transitions from coal to renewable generated power.

Mr Marshall said communities have been left to make sense of the chaos that comes when proponents walk into a community and pitch their development, whether suitable or not.

He made specific mention of Squadron Energy's proposed Boorolong wind farm, which is to be located around 20km northwest of Armidale, past Dumeresq Dam on the Boorolong road.

Squadron Energy [formally CWP Renewables] is an Australian renewable company that develops and owns renewable assets in Australia. Squadron Energy has acquired wind farms with about 1.1 GW of generation capacity in operation or late-stage construction and a large portfolio of potential developments, Boorolong included.

"Now is the time for EnergyCo to exercise its powers under section 29 and start giving the boot to some of these proponents that are not willing to play ball with local councils and communities and develop projects that are sympathetic to the vision we have for our region," said Mr Marshall.

"I can nominate one such project that EnergyCo could start with, Squadron Energy's Boorolong wind farm project, which I [believe] completely inappropriate and will impact 200-odd households.

"We want good projects. We do not want rubbish, we do not want cowboys, we do not want Boorolong and we certainly do not want Squadron Energy."

ACM has contacted Squadron Energy for comment.

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