The Allan Labor Government has given the green light for construction on Victoria's largest solar farm to begin -
delivering more cheap renewable energy and creating new jobs in the Latrobe Valley.
Hazelwood North Solar Farm has been granted a planning permit approval for a 450 megawatt capacity solar farm that will power approximately 150,000 homes and prevent 700,000 tonnes of emissions.
The $651 million project will create about 500 construction jobs and would be larger than any solar farm currently operating in the state. As part of the construction plan, the site will be bordered by native vegetation landscaping to visually screen the facility from surrounding land.
The project also includes provision for a large 450 megawatt, 4-hour battery energy storage facility that will store cheap solar power during the day and feed it into to the grid when it's needed.
Last year, renewable energy made up 39 per cent of energy capacity because of the 78 new large-scale projects that have been commissioned to date - delivering 5.34 gigawatts of energy.
These projects support Victoria's nation-leading renewable energy generation targets of 65 per cent by 2030 and 95 per cent by 2035. These renewable energy targets are supported by energy storage targets of at least 2.6 giga- watts by 2030 and 6.3 gigawatts by 2035.
The Labor Government is getting on with delivering more renewable energy projects and ensuring they are built faster, thanks to recent changes permitting renewable energy projects to be eligible for an accelerated planning pathway under the Development Facilitation Program.
Victoria has hit every climate and energy target it has set to date and is on track to meet its renewable energy target of 95 per cent by 2035 which will create 59,000 jobs, deliver $9.5 billion in economic development and help us reach net-zero emissions by 2045.
As stated by Minster for Planning Sonya Kilkenny
"The approval of the Hazelwood North Solar Farm will strengthen Victoria's renewable energy industry and provide cheaper, cleaner power to thousands of homes."
As stated by Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D'Ambrosio
"The Latrobe Valley has been the home of Victoria's energy generation for decades and our nation-leading targets are helping solidify its role in our renewable energy future - this project will deliver 500 local jobs and power 150,000 homes."
As stated by Member for Eastern Victoria Harriet Shing
"As our transition to renewable energy continues across the Latrobe Valley, we're supporting another valuable project that will boost cheap energy, and support jobs and economic growth for communities across the region."
