The Queensland Parliament has now passed both the Clean Economy Jobs Bill 2024 and the Energy (Renewable Transformation and Jobs) Bill (Energy Bill), legislating Queensland’s emissions reductions and renewable energy targets.
The new legislation allows for the declaration of renewable energy zones (REZs) over parts of Queensland. Following consultation, the Queensland Government has now released the final Queensland Renewable Energy Zone Roadmap (Roadmap), laying out the policy framework to deliver these renewable energy commitments.
What is a ‘REZ’?
Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) are regions that have been selected to consolidate and promote the integration of renewable energy sources into Queensland’s electricity grid. A REZ is strategically planned to connect multiple clean energy generators in a coordinated way to optimise renewable development and network infrastructure.
REZ Roadmap
The Roadmap has identified twelve locations for development, to facilitate the connection of around 22 gigawatts of new grid-scale renewable energy across Queensland, as follows:
To see a map of potential REZ locations, please click here.
There are currently three REZs treated as “in flight”. These are the Southern Downs REZ, Western Downs REZ and Far North Queensland REZ, already progressing under the National Electricity Rules, which have a foundation project in development. These may be declared a REZ under the Queensland legislation at a later date.
Community consultation and social licence
The Roadmap and the Energy Bill acknowledge the importance of community engagement and partnership in the development of REZs, with an emphasis on consultation and planning.
The Energy Bill gives the Minister power to request a REZ assessment, including about the suitability of an area to accommodate a transmission network, and the impact that the development and operation of a transmission network is likely to have on matters including infrastructure and land use, and communities.
The Government will be guided by a range of factors in selecting potential REZ areas, including investor interest, alignment with broader system transformation, and compatibility with other land uses.
The Energy Bill also sets out the process for Powerlink, as the REZ delivery body, to develop management plans for REZs. Draft management plans will go through a period of public consultation.
Next steps
The Energy Bill will commence on a date fixed by proclamation.
Updates to the Roadmap are expected. The first update to the Queensland SuperGrid Blueprint in 2025 is expected to include an update to the Roadmap.