ENGIE | The Plains Renewable Energy Park

The Plains Renewable Energy Park is a newly proposed large-scale development that aims to harness wind and solar energy to provide cheap, reliable and clean electricity for homes and businesses in NSW. The renewable energy park will include the construction of an integrated wind and solar farm and will operate alongside agricultural activities. 

Located south of Hay, The Plains is strategically positioned within the South-West Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), which was identified by the NSW Government due to the abundance of high-quality wind and solar resources, proximity to transmission infrastructure, relative land-use compatibility and a strong pipeline of potential projects.

The Plains is currently in the initial stages of consulting with local community members and conducting feasibility studies.

Key figures

  • Typically, renewable energy projects can take between three and seven years, from initial concept through to construction, with The Plains currently developing an initial concept

  • To support the transition to cleaner and cheaper energy, The Plains Renewable Energy Park aims to have a generating capacity of 400 megawatts, which is the equivalent of powering 260,000 homes 

  • To achieve a 400 megawatt capacity, preliminary estimates indicate the development may include up to 240 wind turbine generators and approximately 600,000 to 800,000 solar panels

  • Wind turbines are normally up to 280 meters tall.

ENGIE have developed a short Community Benefits survey to capture feedback on what’s most important to the local community, future engagement activities and project benefits. Provide your feedback and help shape programs and initiatives that truly benefit the local community.

Sara Johnston