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QUESTION ON NOTICE

Question:

7 November 2022

Senator RENNICK: That is fair enough. I am curious because the GenCost report is often used as the basis to say that renewables are cheaper. But there’s actually a lot of what I consider flawed assumptions in there, one of them being that you don’t need any more transmission lines until renewables hit 50 per cent of the grid and there’s no recycling costs taken into account. So that is a comment. You don’t need to respond to that. In terms of all the transmission lines that you need to get built between now and 2030 to get to 82 per cent of renewables, have you got approvals for all that from the various landholders? CHAIR: Senator Rennick, I wonder whether Ms Brunoro will take this on notice. There is a lot of detail in what you are asking. Senator RENNICK: Well, we’re in estimates. That is what it is all about—asking for the detail. CHAIR: But rather than her sitting there and adding everything up from her notes, would you be happy to take that further detail on notice? Senator RENNICK: What I would like to know is how far progressed you are in terms of getting the relevant and required approvals from both landholders and state governments and various other bodies—national parks or whatever it may have to be—in order to get those transmission lines built by 2030. Ms Brunoro: The short answer I will provide is that those projects are at different stages of development and approval out to 2030. Some of those that are slated to be delivered in the latter part of the decade will be going through the engagement and consultation processes at a later point in time. Clearly, some of those arrangements are going to change with respect to the various landholders when we get there. We can let you know which projects have had engagement with the community and which ones are to come.

Answer:

Question Number: 69 PDR Number: SQ22-000199 Date Submitted: 07/11/2022 Department or Body: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)’s 2022 Integrated System Plan (ISP) is a comprehensive roadmap for the National Electricity Market (NEM) out to 2050. Under the step change scenario in the ISP renewables will make up 83 per cent of NEM energy by 2030-31. The ISP does not include Western Australia or the Northern Territory which are not part of the NEM. The ISP sets out the transmission needed under the optimal development path including committed projects, actionable projects and future projects. This includes several transmission projects in the NEM expected to be commissioned by 2030. Transport Network Service Providers (TNSPs) and state governments are responsible for delivery of transmission projects and they therefore lead community engagement and planning, environmental and landholder approvals. All transmission projects are subject to a number of regulatory approval stages, including the Regulatory Investment Test for Transmission (RIT-T). The following table provides a summary of the status of major regulatory and environmental approvals, and community engagement for committed and actionable projects in the 2022 ISP which are expected to be in delivered by 2030. (See table). The ISP also includes Future projects which are identified to commence detailed design including early community engagement. Future ISP projects expected to be delivered by 2030 include: Central to Southern Queensland stage 1, Darling Downs Renewable Energy Zone Expansion stage 1, and South East South Australia Renewable Energy Zone Expansion stage 1. In recognition of the substantial amount of new transmission that will need to be delivered by 2050, the Government has committed to working with the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner and state and territory governments on social licence initiatives under the National Energy Transformation Partnership.