Renewable energy cases

Public consultation regarding Independent Planning Commission determinations of renewable energy projects

Please refer to the cases tab to search for your renewable energy project. 

The Commission’s role

The Independent Planning Commission’s role is to make decisions on large and contentious SSD applications in NSW. This may include new large-scale energy projects, such as wind and solar projects, both within and outside of the Renewable Energy Zones[1].

The Commission does not have a role in declaring where a Renewable Energy Zone should be situated. It also does not have any role in relation to State significant infrastructure (SSI) projects, such as power transmission lines. Read more about the Commission on our website, at this link.

Consultation by the Commission                                                                                                  

As part of the Commission’s determination of SSD applications, it may:

• hold a Public Meeting where appropriate, or if directed by the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces, a Public Hearing;
• hold transcribed meetings with the applicant, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure, the local council(s), and other stakeholders it chooses; and
• take and consider written public submissions on the proposed development.

Given the relatively large number of proposed renewable energy developments (within and outside the Renewable Energy Zones), interested or affected community members may have already been involved in various consultation processes relating to proposed developments for renewable energy projects. Community members who have previously made submissions on a development application via the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure's public exhibition process may be invited by the Commission to provide further comments – any submission already to the Department will be available to the Commission.

The Commission Panels appointed to determine each project must consider each development application separately. This means that you may be invited to present or provide a written submission to the Commission multiple times within one local area or Renewable Energy Zone. Each invitation will be in relation to a single proposed development.

Read more about how to engage with the Commission on our website, at this link.