In recent decades, Victoria’s power system has changed significantly with the introduction of renewable energy and the retiring of some coal generators in the Latrobe Valley. The arrival of new energy resources in our energy mix has led to new generation hubs in locations outside the traditional generation hubs.

Western Victoria has become an attractive location for new renewable generation projects due to the availability of renewable energy resources. Existing transmission infrastructure in western Victoria is inadequate and unable to accommodate this increased generation, resulting in a constrained network.

The Regulatory Investment Test for Transmission (RIT-T) process undertaken by Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to address network limitations in western Victoria identified a preferred investment option. This option requires the construction of new infrastructure between Bulgana and Sydenham to deliver the most efficient means of increasing transmission capacity in western Victoria to meet the long-term energy needs of consumers.