The Federal Government has granted approval for a new solar farm in NSW that is set to generate enough energy to power 229,000 NSW homes.
The 600 megawatt Birriwa Solar is located near Dunedoo and includes the construction of around 1 million solar panels and 600MW battery storage.
It forms part of the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone which recently received environmental approval for a transmission line.
“I’ve ticked off more than 55 renewable energy projects in two years – enough to power almost 7 million homes,” said Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP.
“Australians have a choice between a renewable energy transition that’s already underway and driving down prices, or paying for an expensive nuclear fantasy that may never happen.”
This is another big step in the Government’s plan to make Australia a renewable energy superpower.
The project is set to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, which is equivalent to taking more than 1.8 million cars off the road for a year.
The project is important to boosting renewables capacity and putting downward pressure on prices, but the project will also support around 500 direct jobs in construction and 20 ongoing jobs.