With more and more rural communities being affected by transmission lines connecting renewable energy zones to the grid the call for undergrounding these lines has never been louder.
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This includes the Central West-Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) which is expected to unlock at least 4.5 gigawatts of new network capacity.
An initial inquiry into the feasibility of underground transmission lines was largely dismissed as not being independent with a second inquiry by a select committee chaired by NSW Greens' Cate Faehrmann recently submitting its report.
The report found that EnergyCo and electricity transmission providers such as Transgrid need to improve consultation within communities and that more information is needed to "adequately explain to the community the options, opportunities and constraints of undergrounding transmission lines versus overhead transmission lines".
While this will come as no surprise to communities impacted by Renewable Energy Zones and overhead lines, the report also recommends the NSW Government consults with the Australian Energy Regulator for the regulatory investment test (RIT-T), required on all projects over $5 million, incorporate broader environmental elements.
Advocacy groups like HumeLink Alliance have been calling for the RIT-T to have greater scope, saying the assessment criteria is too narrow, and that it does not consider the overall benefit to the state.
Ms Faehrmann said more needs to be done.
"It is resoundingly clear that transmission infrastructure providers are failing to secure the social licence necessary for their proposed new projects in regional areas," Ms Faehrmann said.
"Unsurprisingly, we identified a need for transmission companies and agencies to improve their community engagement at every stage of transmission infrastructure projects.
"On undergrounding specifically, we found that electricity transmission providers and the NSW government should provide more information to adequately explain the options to the community."
Ms Faehrmann said the committee found a hybrid approach to future projects could be viable. "The committee came to the view that there is merit in exploring a hybrid approach to transmission infrastructure projects to better address sensitivities, from environmental to cultural to social, wherever practicable," she said.
