Renewable Energy Company Explores Wind and Solar Projects in Far West NSW

Australian renewable energy company Tilt Renewables is exploring opportunities to build large-scale wind and solar infrastructure in far west New South Wales. The proposed Outback Energy project would include a 3-to-5-gigawatt wind farm and other assets that could supply up to 10 gigawatts to the state grid and neighboring regions.

The company has already secured formal agreements with leaseholders and Crown Lands to investigate sites across 450,000 hectares. Tilt Renewables currently operates the Broken Hill Solar Plant and Silverton Wind Farm in the same region.

Beven, who manages a 75,000-hectare property 70 kilometres north of Broken Hill, said he and other local pastoralists were initially skeptical but chose to review the proposals. He said the company's approach differed from other renewable projects because most land in the district is used for livestock rather than cropping.

"We didn't give a hard 'no' straight away because we wanted to at least read the contract and afford them the respect of actually giving it a chance," Mr Beven said. Mr Beven, who is also president of the Pastoralists Association of West Darling, said conversations with other landholders approached by Tilt Renewables produced similar responses.

He added that a key condition for continued support is reliable mains power supply to properties in the district.

Renewables general manager of development David Beavers said the company spent the past two years testing wind resources north of the Barrier Ranges. He said the proposed wind farm would be roughly 15 to 20 times larger than the existing Silverton asset.

Mr Beavers said major construction would likely take at least a decade and would require new transmission lines to connect generated power to the grid. The Australian Energy Market Operator is reviewing Tilt's submission for new transmission infrastructure as part of its 2026 Integrated System Plan.

Clean Energy Council spokesperson Chris O'Keefe said 90 per cent of coal-fired power stations on the east coast are expected to close within the next decade. He said 10 gigawatts of renewable capacity would equal the output of five coal-fired power stations.