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Landmark Energy Legislation Powers through Parliament

LANDMARK ENERGY LEGISLATION POWERS THROUGH PARLIAMENT

NSW is set to become an energy and economic superpower, with the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Bill 2020 passing through the NSW Parliament today.

Minister for Energy Matt Kean says it’s a great day for our State and a great day for our country.

“This Bill will enable us to get on with delivering the energy infrastructure we need to keep the lights on and get electricity prices down for homes and businesses across our great State,” Mr Kean said.

“It will give industry and investors the certainty they need to invest in the generation, storage, firming and transmission capacity we need – with more than $32 billion of private sector investment to be injected into the NSW economy by 2030.

“It will help to create the jobs of the future, with 9,000 direct jobs by 2030 and more than 23,000 indirect jobs – mostly in the regions – in the next decade.

“It will power a manufacturing renaissance in NSW with some of the cheapest, most reliable electricity in the OECD.

“And it will deliver the modern, cheap, reliable energy grid that will power NSW into the future and underwrite our prosperity for generations to come.

“This was a Liberal-National Party Bill, but these are broad cross-party reforms which wouldn’t have happened without the support and constructive and honourable approach of every member who supported it.

“I especially want to thank The Hon. Ben Franklin for his historic parliamentary performance shepherding this Bill through more than 30 hours of consecutive debate in the Upper House, defeating 249 amendments from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.”

The Electricity Infrastructure Bill 2020 is a key part of the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap – the NSW Government’s plan to ensure we have the next generation of energy infrastructure in place as existing infrastructure comes to its scheduled end of operational life, and do it in a way that protects consumers, creates jobs, stimulates the economy and supports our regions.