The Victorian government is accelerating more renewable energy projects, greenlighting an additional AU$2.4 billion in projects to drive down household power bills.
The latest approvals have been fast-tracked through the state’s Development Facilitation Program (DFP). The newly approved projects will inject enough battery capacity into the grid, capable of powering more than half a million Victorian homes during critical peak demand periods.
The multi-billion-dollar funding package includes the AU$1.3 billion Morwell Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in the Latrobe Valley, which alone will support 344,000 homes during peak times.
Other approved developments include the AU$600 million Nine Mile BESS near Geelong, the AU$130 million Chivers Road BESS in Glenrowan, and the AU$388 million Gelliondale Wind Farm in Gippsland, which will generate annual electricity for 49,000 homes alongside its own dedicated battery storage.
The DFP pathway has expedited more than 30 renewable projects worth a combined AU$11 billion over the past two years.
Once fully operational, these developments will generate enough annual electricity for 800,000 homes and provide evening peak battery storage for 2.6 million households, while creating more than 3,800 construction and operational jobs across regional Victoria.
The government highlighted that before the DFP’s introduction, more than one in five renewable energy applications faced significant delays in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT).
Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny said: “We’re making good decisions faster so Victorians can benefit from cheaper renewable energy sooner.”
Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio added that the infrastructure would shore up state energy supplies.
Victoria’s aggressive investment in renewables has allowed it to consistently maintain the lowest wholesale electricity prices in Australia – bringing online even more renewable energy will ensure prices stay low into the future.
