Politics & Council
8 April, 2024
Assessment says VNI West best plan
THE promised independent review of Professor Bruce Mountain’s alternative Plan B to VNI West was quietly released by the State Government on Sunday. Professor Mountain, Simon Barlett and Darren Edwards had proposed upgrades to existing powerlines...
THE promised independent review of Professor Bruce Mountain’s alternative Plan B to VNI West was quietly released by the State Government on Sunday.
Professor Mountain, Simon Barlett and Darren Edwards had proposed upgrades to existing powerlines across Victoria.
However, the review by engineering company Jacobs found that VNI West “is the right solution and will play a crucial role in securing Victoria’s energy future and enabling the transition to renewables”.
The report said the proposal:
Underestimated both the benefits of the VNI West project and the challenges posed by the alternative set out in Plan B;
Would require significant battery and other storage investments or additional new interconnection infrastructure to work, and does not account for this; and
Has its own risks associated with construction and operation that have not had sufficient technical assessment or community engagement.
According to the Government: “VNI West will also allow Victorian renewable generators to sell more of their power to consumers in New South Wales when it is not needed in Victoria.”
The review was commissioned by the Government.