THE HON TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT AND WATER
MEDIA RELEASE
Monday 9 September 2024
NEW SOLAR FARM IN CENTRAL-WEST NSW TO POWER 229,000 HOMES
The Albanese Government has ticked off a new solar farm in NSW which will 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.
This is another big step in the Government’s plan to make Australia a renewable energy superpower.
Under the Liberals and Nationals, 24 coal fired power plants with a total capacity of 26.7 GW announced their closure dates, but the previous government failed to deliver any policy to ensure replacement energy capacity.
At the last election, Australians voted for progress on renewables. That’s exactly what Labor is delivering.
The project will 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.
We know projects like this are vital to boosting renewables capacity and putting downward pressure on prices, but they are also great for local jobs and economies. This project will support around 500 direct jobs in construction and 20 ongoing jobs.
Projects need to be placed in the right areas and designed so that their environmental impacts are minimised – as is the case with this project.
Quotes attributable to Minister for the Environment and Water, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP:
“Labor is getting on with the job of transforming Australia into a renewable energy superpower while Peter Dutton’s so called nuclear plan is threatening investment in renewables.
“I’ve ticked off more than 55 renewable energy projects in two years - enough to power almost 7 million homes.
“Peter Dutton can’t tell Australians how much you will pay to build his nuclear reactors, how much the expensive nuclear power will add to your bills, or even how many reactors there will be in Australian communities.
“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.”
ENDS
