The HCC REZ is critical to ensuring the renewables potential of the Hunter-Central Coast area can be harnessed to deliver a reliable and sustainable energy supply for the region.
The Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone stretches geographically from the Upper Hunter down to Doyalson and Budgewoi on Central Coast, including Newcastle up to Port Stephens.
Map of the HCC REZ and proposed works
Renewable energy zones (REZs) are the modern-day equivalent of traditional power stations. They are regions where new wind and solar power generation (sometimes called ‘farms’) are grouped, so electricity can be efficiently stored and distributed throughout NSW.
The HCC REZ is the Renewable Energy Zone, declared by the Minister for Energy in 2022, that stretches through parts of the Central Coast, Newcastle and Hunter regions.
This region will become host to numerous solar, wind and hydro generation projects, as well as large-scale batteries, delivering an additional 1GW network transfer capacity to the grid.
The Hunter and Central Coast regions have excellent renewable energy resources and can utilise existing power stations, rehabilitated mining land, electricity network infrastructure, port and transport facilities, and a skilled workforce, making it an excellent choice for a REZ.
In December 2024, Ausgrid signed an agreement with EnergyCo to be the preferred network operator to provide an additional 1GW of renewable energy transfer capacity by 2028. Ausgrid is responsible for the planning, design, construction, financing, operating and maintaining the network infrastructure of the HCC REZ project.
To enable the increase in network capacity, upgrades need to be made to the existing infrastructure.
No. The HCC REZ upgrades refer to the sub-transmission infrastructure, while the Hunter Transmission Project (HTP) is a new transmission line (lattice towers) project, to connect the Central West Orana and New England REZs with the existing 500kV transmission network at Eraring.
Check session times for drop-in sessions and webinars.
Learn more about the proposed HCC REZ network infrastructure upgrades, timeline, and planning process.
