New South Wales planning draft restricts wind, not solar

The Australian state of New South Wales has released a Draft Energy Policy Framework which will guide siting and development of onshore wind, solar, transmission lines, and offshore wind in the state. The less significant of two immediately noteworthy points are fees of $850 and $1,050 AUD per MW per year, payable by solar and wind projects respectively, towards local communities, with $413 million AUD expected to be received over 25 years – this is to sweeten the deal for local residents. The most notable feature, however, is that onshore wind is getting very much the short end of the stick, with only a minority of areas identified as even ‘Less Suitable Sites,’ let alone as ‘Desirable’ or ‘Suitable’. The…