Singapore, 7 May (Argus) — Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) state has proposed rules to speed up key renewable energy projects, to meet power demand as coal generation falls.
Under legislation tabled on 6 May, the state energy minister would be able to identify high-priority projects to move faster through the planning pipeline.
The NSW government wants to ensure reliable and affordable energy for heavy industry such as UK-Australian producer Rio Tinto’s Tomago aluminium smelter, the largest in Australia, it said.
No environmental and community assessments will be removed, the government added. Eligible projects include those for renewable power generation, clean energy storage, and power transmission.
The state parliament has received the proposed legislation but has not yet voted to pass it.
The government is also planning reforms for how projects are sent to the Independent Planning Commission, which reviews complaints. Currently the commission reviews projects that have garnered 50 or more public objections.
Renewables made up 39.6pc of power generation in NSW, Australia’s most populous state, in 2025, according to data tracker Open Electricity. NSW and Australia’s largest coal power station, Eraring, delayed its retirement earlier this year in part because there was insufficient new generation capacity.
Australia already has a national renewable energy priority list, which allows regulators to attend to key projects faster, but does not remove any assessment steps.
By Liang Lei
