About EnergyCo
The Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo) is a statutory authority established under the Energy and Utilities Administration Act 1987 and is responsible for leading the delivery of Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) as part of the NSW Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap (the Roadmap).
The Roadmap sets out the NSW Government’s vision to coordinate investment in electricity transmission, generation, storage and firming infrastructure and transform the NSW electricity system into one that is cheap, clean and reliable.
In 2020, the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020 identified that EnergyCo will be appointed as the Infrastructure Planner for the State’s first five REZs in the Central-West Orana, New England, South West, Hunter-Central Coast and Illawarra regions.
As the Infrastructure Planner for these REZs, EnergyCo will recommend network infrastructure projects and will work closely with communities, investors and industry to coordinate investment in renewable energy generation, electricity networks and storage infrastructure in REZs for the long-term benefit of energy consumers, local communities and industry in NSW.
You can learn more about the role of the Infrastructure Planner in the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020.
EnergyCo operates under the direction of the NSW Minister for Energy, with the EnergyCo Advisory Committee (EAC) providing oversight, expert advice and governance and assurance to support EnergyCo. Paul Binsted is the Chairperson of the EAC, appointed in April 2024, and is the incoming Chairperson of the soon to be established Board of the Energy Corporation of NSW, established under yet to be commenced amendments to the Energy and Utilities Administration Act 1987. The chair of the Board will play a critical role in the effective governance of EnergyCo to ensure successful implementation of the Government’s renewable energy plans.
The electricity landscape is changing
For decades energy generation in NSW has been powered by a fleet of large coal-fired power stations. This network of power stations took over 30 years to plan and build and has provided reliable and abundant energy that has been distributed across NSW through a network of poles and wires, powering our homes, businesses and industry.
While this electricity system has served us well, most of our existing power stations are scheduled to reach the end of their technical lives in the near future. As existing power stations progressively retire we need to find new sources of energy to help our State prosper and keep the lights on for energy consumers.
We must also meet the growing demand for green energy as NSW electrifies its homes, businesses, industries and vehicles. Our transmission network must be ready to connect and distribute new sources of renewable energy to where it is needed. As part of the Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, EnergyCo is working to transform our electricity system into a modern energy grid that is cheap, clean and reliable.