The Essential Services Commission has approved Powercor’s application for a licence that will allow us to design and build transmission infrastructure within the Powercor network.
The approval follows extensive stakeholder and community consultation and is a great outcome for Victorians.
See: Essential Services Commission website – Powercor electricity transmission licence application
This means major customers now have more choice when building and connecting transmission assets in western Victoria.
Powercor will offer design and construction services for new terminal station infrastructure, including 220kV lines, for customer-related projects to enable them to easily connect to the transmission network. These projects could include large-scale solar and wind generation, battery storage, data centres and commercial and industrial businesses. In addition, Powercor will own, operate and maintain any necessary upgrades to the transmission system.
Powercor will not be building large transmission line corridors.
We have a strong understanding of what is involved in delivering transmission projects, from the technical requirements through to the relevant legal and regulatory framework as well as the stakeholder engagement needs.
We are ready now to speak with customers about their transmission needs. If you have any questions please email transmission@powercor.com.au.
A new transmission operator will provide big benefits for Victoria
A transmission licence allows Powercor to provide major businesses and renewable energy proponents more choice when it comes to connecting to Victoria’s electricity grid.
Choice drives competition, leading to lower prices and better service for customers.
We already own and operate one of the lowest-cost and most reliable electricity distribution networks in Australia, moving power to 922,000 customers across 64% of Victoria. Many new businesses and renewable energy projects need both transmission and distribution network upgrades to support their energy demand and load.
What we offer
We won’t be constructing large transmission line corridors. Our focus is on building and upgrading transmission infrastructure to connect contained projects to the grid. We offer planning, design and construction of new terminal station infrastructure, including 220kV lines, for customer-related projects to enable them to easily connect to the transmission network. These projects include large-scale solar and wind generation, battery storage, data centres and commercial and industrial businesses.
We are also able to own, operate and maintain any necessary upgrades to the transmission system, providing a valuable option for our customers. Offering transmission services to complement what we already deliver on the distribution network provides a more seamless experience to major customers, accelerate investment in strategic growth corridors and deliver benefits for regional communities.
Driving economic growth and supporting more renewables
Providing quick and easy power connections for major businesses and clean energy projects is important as Victoria competes nationally and globally to attract investment and jobs.
We will support more investment by creating the competition needed to significantly drive down transmission connection costs and reduce delivery timelines for people wanting to invest in our state and create the jobs our regional communities need. We are already one of the lowest cost distributors and this will be mirrored within our transmission group.
Faster transmission connection and creating more capacity is also essential to supporting Victoria achieve its target of delivering 65% renewable generation by 2030 and unlocking more than 10,000MW of capacity within our state’s designated renewable energy zones.
More market capability to offer transmission services is critical, and our entry into the market provides this extra capability.
A dedicated, experienced team
What sets us apart from others in the market is our team of more than 2,000 people, working from 14 depots and offices across western and northern Victoria.
We are the only provider to offer a full in-house service, from design and planning to construction and maintenance, across both distribution and transmission in western Victoria. Having our distribution and transmission specialists working side-by-side provides more flexibility and agility, giving customers better service.
We have held an Electricity Distribution Licence for almost 30 years. During this time, we have regularly interacted with transmission network service providers and have a strong understanding of what is involved in undertaking a transmission project, from the technical requirements through to the relevant legal and regulatory framework as well as the stakeholder engagement needs.
Many of our people, including our executives and senior managers, have extensive experience managing and operating both transmission and distribution networks. We know and understand the communities we operate in as our people live and work in them every day. The need for empathetic and authentic engagement with communities and other stakeholders is understood across all levels of our business.
Our stakeholder engagement specialists are embedded across our major projects and customer teams, leading and facilitating effective on-the-ground engagement with customers. Their deep knowledge and expertise will be used to identify and support engagement with those communities living near any major transmission projects.
We believe the experience we provide builds greater confidence in our sector to deliver critical transmission services that are as essential as the projects they are supporting.
We will plan, design and build transmission infrastructure within Powercor’s current distribution network, spanning from the western suburbs of Melbourne through central and western Victoria to the South Australian and New South Wales borders.
