NSW Government Draft Energy Policy Framework

The NSW Government has recently published a set of policy guidelines within an ‘Energy Policy Framework’ to help develop a sustainable renewable energy industry in NSW. The framework aims to support ‘faster and more consistent decision-making and provide greater certainty for the energy industry and communities’.

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The energy types captured by these proposed guidelines will include:

• Wind Energy;
• Transmission infrastructure; and,
• Solar Energy.

Guidance on Benefit-Sharing and Private Agreements will also be updated.

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A range of documents, guidelines and tools will work together to form the framework for each category of energy infrastructure. Several existing policy documents will also be updated to account for the changing energy sector landscape, including:

Wind Energy Guideline:

• New guidance on landscape and visual impact assessment,
• Noise impact assessment methodology,
• New noise impact criterion within National Parks,
• A calculator for estimating potential costs of decommissioning.

Transmission Guideline:

• Technical supplement for landscape and visual impact assessment,
• Adoption of a visual assessment methodology consistent with the Wind Energy Guideline,
• New measures to avoid and mitigate visual impacts for private landowners;
• Advice on route selection, community engagement, biodiversity impacts, agricultural impacts, bushfire risk and other issues.

Solar Energy Guideline:

• The Minister will consider requests to declare solar energy development as Critical State Significant Infrastructure if it includes a significant energy storage system,
• Update the existing Solar Energy Guideline to identify suitable locations for solar energy development,
• A calculator for estimating potential costs of decommissioning,
• Repeal of the existing guidance on benefit sharing in the Solar Guideline and replace with the draft Benefit Sharing Guideline (2023),
• Repeal existing guidance on private agreements in the Solar Energy Guideline and replace it with the draft Private Agreement Guideline (2023),
• Define dwelling and clarify assessment requirements for dwelling entitlements,
• Update the assessment methodology in line with the proposed approach for wind and transmission.

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The Energy Policy Framework is on public exhibition until 18 December 2023. Submissions can be made via this link: https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/draftplans/exhibition/draft-energy-policy-framework.