In response to the NSW Government's announcement of three new long-duration storage projects under its NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, Climate Council CEO, Amanda McKenzie, said:
"In just six years, two big battery facilities and one pumped hydro facility will complement existing projects due to come online soon, like the Waratah Super Battery, which helped avoid blackouts during last November's heatwave.
"This rapid growth of large energy storage projects helps back up NSW's energy grid as aging coal-fired power stations shut down. Already, three new storage projects are set to start soaking up renewable energy from the sun and wind by the end of this year.
"Renewables already make up about 40 percent of the electricity in our main grid. When backed by storage solutions, they can work hard around the clock, just like you, to power our lives and look after our communities. Plans to boost these types of projects are crucial to reducing Australia's climate pollution. NSW is a great example of how sensible plans work to provide affordable, clean and reliable power. We need to see all states and territories reaping the same benefits.
"As one of the biggest energy users in the National Electricity Market, shoring up NSW's renewable supplies with big batteries and pumped hydro will see more residents powered around the clock by our abundance of low-cost sun and wind energy. It will also act as a buffer from the power price pressures many of us are feeling because of expensive, unreliable, and polluting coal and gas."
