The Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change says she will ask the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to call for expressions of interest to increase the capacity of the Victoria-New South Wales Interconnector.
Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said new legislation would be introduced to enable urgent upgrades to the energy transmission network and fast-track priority projects.
“Amendments to the National Electricity (Victoria) Act 2005 would give Victoria the power to unlock renewable projects and improve the reliability of Victoria’s energy supply,” Ms D’Ambrosio said.
“These changes will focus on projects that deliver clear benefits to consumers, while increasing our capacity to import electricity during periods of peak demand,” she said.
“As a first step to secure additional transmission capacity the Government will ask AEMO to call for expressions of interest to increase the capacity of the Victoria-New South Wales Interconnector.”
Ms D’Ambrosio said the vulnerability of the national energy network had been highlighted in recent months, with Victoria, NSW and South Australia narrowly avoiding load-shedding in late January.
“Extreme heat has created unprecedented demand for electricity while ageing, coal-fired generators repeatedly let Victoria down,” she said.
Ms D’Ambrosio said the transmission system was also vulnerable to bushfires and severe weather events.
