NSW Government
Planning

Renewable Energy Planning Framework

Providing greater clarity, consistency and transparency for communities and the energy industry

Solar farm solar panels - Energy NSW. Credit: NSW Department of Planning and Environment / Stock Photography

NSW is leading a once-in-a-generation upgrade of the electricity network, building the infrastructure we need to keep the lights on.

Renewable energy is critical to meeting our state’s target of net zero emissions by 2050 and ensuring a clean, affordable and reliable electricity supply.

The Renewable Energy Planning Framework has been developed to help NSW transition to renewable energy. It includes guidelines for wind and solar energy generation and transmission infrastructure. It will support the industry by providing more investment certainty and will also make sure that communities benefit from the renewable energy projects they’re hosting.

Renewable Energy Planning Framework Overview

Read a high-level summary of the framework and the role of the NSW Government in the assessment of renewable energy development:

Guidelines

The Wind Energy Guideline provides guidance for onshore wind energy projects including technical supplements for evaluating visual and noise impacts. It also includes information on aviation safety and other assessment issues.

Resources

The Large-Scale Solar Energy Guideline applies to State significant solar projects. It gives advice on a range of assessment matters including landscape and visual impacts, agricultural land use, decommissioning and glint and glare.

Resources

The Transmission Guideline provides guidance for large-scale transmission infrastructure that is declared State significant infrastructure. This includes a technical supplement for landscape and visual impacts and guidance on commonly raised issues including undergrounding, bushfire risk and more.

Resources

The Hydrogen Guideline supports the implementation of the NSW Hydrogen Strategy. It provides industry, regulators and the community with information on how the planning system can facilitate the development of the hydrogen sector in NSW.

Resources

The Benefit Sharing Guideline provides information to applicants, councils and communities about how benefit sharing should be incorporated into the development of large-scale renewable energy generation and storage projects in NSW.

Resources

The Private Agreement Guideline provides guidance for applicants and landowners who are thinking of entering into commercial agreements to host or accept the impacts of solar and wind energy infrastructure.

Resources

Renewable Energy Planning Framework

The Renewable Energy Planning Framework provides clarity and transparency for how renewable energy developments are assessed and managed.

Purpose

The Renewable Energy Planning Framework is designed to:

  • make sure development is guided by meaningful consultation with communities, and that there is more transparency and clarity about where and how development happens
  • make sure the benefits of energy development are directly realised by the communities and regions that host the infrastructure
  • introduce clear setbacks to avoid significant visual impacts from wind energy and transmission infrastructure and to set clear expectations for the industry
  • provide greater support to applicants and landowners entering into agreements to host infrastructure or manage the impacts of development
  • provide more transparency about the likely costs of decommissioning solar and wind energy development so the industry and landowners can make more informed investment decisions
  • provide guidance for identifying, assessing, avoiding, and mitigating impacts from renewable energy development
  • help the industry to make informed investment decisions by providing more objective development standards
  • streamline the planning process by supporting faster and more consistent decisions
  • ensure the level of assessment matches the level of risk to help speed up the assessment process.

Wind turbines in the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone. Credit: Avalind

Exhibition and consultation for the framework

The framework has been developed based on extensive consultation and feedback received through the public exhibition of the draft energy policy framework, held from 14 November 2023 to 29 January 2024. Approximately 400 written submissions were received during this period.

In addition to written submissions, we heard from government agencies and departments, industry, councils, peak bodies and organisations, and community groups and members at various information sessions and forums online and in Renewable Energy Zones.

A range of changes have been made to address comments and concerns including amendments to the visual impact assessment process, inclusion of additional guidance on benefit sharing and more. Read more about the key themes of consultation and actions being taken by the NSW Government in the Renewable Energy Transition Update.

Infrastructure used for the transmission of renewable energy.

If you have any questions about the energy policy framework, email the policy team on [email protected]