Planning

The Hillview Energy Hub will be developed in stages. Each of the projects that makes up the Hillview Energy Hub – battery, solar and wind – are considered state significant developments and will need to be assessed individually.

Stage 1 - Eastern Hub Firming Battery

The Eastern Hub Firming Battery is in the early stages of planning. ACE Power submitted a Scoping Report to the Department of Planning, Housing & Infrastructure earlier this year. Secretary’s Environment Assessment Requirements (SEARs) have now been issued for this project– the SEARs outline the areas of the projects that will need to be assessed in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS).
Visit the NSW planning portal to read the Scoping Report and SEARs for this project.
Our technical specialists are now undertaking the required environmental assessments outlined in the SEARs. Read more about our technical assessments below.
BESS renewable energy battery

Project Timeline

Site Selection
Preliminary Assessments and Community Engagement
Planning Application
Project Exhibition and Government Approach
Final Decision
Construction
Operation
Decomissioning

Stage 2 - Hillview Solar Farm

The 250–300 MW Hillview Solar Farm is in the early stages of planning. ACE Power submitted a Scoping Report to the Department of Planning, Housing & Infrastructure earlier this year. SEARs have now been issued for this project – the SEARs outline the areas of the projects that will need to be assessed in the EIS.
Visit the NSW planning portal to read the Scoping Report and SEARs for this project.
Our technical specialists are now undertaking the required environmental assessments outlined in the SEARs. Read more about our technical assessments below.
Photovoltaic panels in a solar farm

Project Timeline

Site Selection
Preliminary Assessments and Community Engagement
Planning Application
Project Exhibition and Government Approvals
Final Decision
Construction
Operation
Decomissioning

Stage 3 - Hillview Wind Farm

The 200–300 MW wind farm is in the early stages of planning, with pre-feasibility studies currently underway. We submitted a Scoping Report for the proposed Hillview Wind Farm to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure in November 2024, outlining our initial plans for this project. This document is available online for public review and comment via the Major Projects Planning Portal.
VISIT THE NSW PLANNING PORTAL TO READ THE SCOPING REPORT FOR THIS PROJECTAerial view of a wind turbine

Project Timeline

Site Selection
Preliminary Assessments and Community Engagement
Planning Application
Project Exhibition and Government Approach
Final Decision
Construction
Operation
Decomissioning

Technical assessments

Our technical specialists are preparing to undertake the required environmental assessments outlined in the Eastern Hub Firming Battery and Hillview Solar Farm SEARs.

The Eastern Hub Firming Battery and Hillview Solar Farm EIS will address:

  • Biodiversity impacts, including impacts to species and ecosystems
  • Aboriginal and historic heritage impacts
  • Impacts to land use, including site suitability and the use of the site and surrounding land practices
  • Landscape and visual impacts
  • Noise impacts during construction and operation
  • Transport and traffic impacts during construction, including oversized vehicles
  • Water impacts, including impacts to surface and groundwater
  • Hazards, including impacts to human health, dangerous goods and bushfire risk
  • Social impacts, including impacts to community amenity, workforce accommodation and cumulative demand on local infrastructure and services
  • Economic impacts and benefits of the project for the region and state
  • Waste

The Hillview Solar Farm EIS will also address glint and glare.

We invite you to get involved as we prepare our EIS. By understanding community concerns and ideas now, we can consider these in our assessments. To get involved, reach out via our contact us page.

Planning for the New England Renewable Energy Zone

The NSW Government is in the early stages of planning how to coordinate the rollout of renewable energy in the New England Region, so that impacts on local communities are reduced.

New England has some of the best natural energy resources in the country. The New England REZ has an intended capacity of 8 GW and is expected to deliver up $10.7 billion in private sector investment and support around 1250 construction jobs and 830 operational jobs.

EnergyCo, the statutory authority appointed to lead development of the New England REZ, recently released their Scoping Report for the transmission needed to connect the generation across the New England REZ to the existing energy grid.

This includes information about the East Hub, the switchyard that the Hillview Energy Hub would use to connect into the grid.

Read the New England REZ transmission project Scoping Report here.

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Manly NSW 2095
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