The Inquiry into renewable energy in Victoria was referred to the Legislative Council Environment and Planning Committee in 2020. The Committee was at that time engaged in two major inquiries, and therefore was only able to commence this inquiry properly at the beginning of 2022.

The inquiry was never intended to be a full investigation and analysis of renewable energy, but more an update on where the renewable energy transition has reached at this point.

In the Committee’s view, the Victorian government’s emission reduction targets and renewable energy targets provide certainty to the market and are a strong indication of Victoria’s intention to transition as quickly as possible. Support for both onshore and offshore wind projects, as well as substantial investments in solar and battery technologies, will help relieve the pressure as demand for energy is likely to increase as the community transitions away from fossil fuels to electricity, particularly with an increasing uptake in zero emission vehicles.

The Committee found that the Victorian government has the governance and policy structures in place to meet the increase in demand for energy. Any initiatives such as the government’s renewable energy zones, the renewable energy development plan, renewable energy auctions and the creation of VicGrid are all indicators of the strong commitment the government has shown to the transition.

The report lists 24 findings and 32 recommendations for Commonwealth and Victorian Government agencies who play a role in Victoria’s energy system to provide infrastructure, act as a regulators and promote the transition to renewable energy.