[IMPACT Webinar]
Wire Before Wind: Unlocking Australia’s Trillion-Dollar Wind Opportunity Through Transmission

[Impact Webinar] Wire Before Wind: Unlocking Australia’s Trillion-Dollar Wind Opportunity Through Transmission

Date & Time: 14:00 - 15:30, Melbourne/Sydney Time, November 27 Thursday

Format: Digital Conference (Zoom Webinar)

Abstract:

Unlocking Australia’s next wave of wind development will require transmission to be delivered at the scale and pace needed to support future generation growth. In this webinar, senior representatives from the federal and Western Australian governments, together with industry leaders, examined the policy settings, system plans and practical challenges shaping Australia’s grid readiness. The session offered a clear picture of where progress is being made—and the collaboration still needed across government jurisdictions, networks and investors.

IMPACT November 27 Agenda:

0:02:30 - 0:23:55 | [Keynote] Enabling Wind‑Driven Transmission: Policy, Investment & Grid Readiness in Australia

Scott Maxwell, A/Branch Head Clean Energy Investment, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

0:24:40 - 0:40:45 | [Keynote] Enabling Western Australia’s Renewable Energy Future: The SWIS Transmission Plan and Policy Vision

Wenona Hadingham, Director, Planning & Coordination, Energy Policy WA, Department of Energy and Economic Diversification

0:41:10 - 1:29:55 | [Panel] Future-Proofing Australia’s Grid: Planning, Innovation and Storage for a Wind-Powered Future

Moderator:

Paul Beaton, Policy Manager, Clean Energy Investor Group

Panelists:

Wenona Hadingham, Director, Planning & Coordination, Energy Policy WA, Department of Energy and Economic Diversification

Robbie Aherne, General Manager – System Resilience, Transgrid

Carla Basden, Head of Major Customer Decarbonisation, Western Power

Edoardo Viel, Director - Grid Connections, Equis Australia

Key Takeways:

1. Federal Update — A Wind-Led Grid Needs Coordinated Transmission Delivery

Scott Maxwell (DCCEEW) outlined how the 2024 Integrated System Plan points to a future where wind becomes the dominant generation source in the NEM. Supporting this shift requires delivery of 43 REZs and around 127 GW of new VRE.
He highlighted the Commonwealth’s major levers — including the expanded Capacity Investment Scheme, Rewiring the Nation concessional finance, and programs accelerating grid connections — while noting the key challenges ahead: rising costs, long lead times, supply chain pressure, and the need for tighter alignment across jurisdictions.

2. Western Australia — Delivering the SWIS Transmission Plan

Wenona Hadingham (DEED) presented WA’s strategy as the State moves toward retiring all state-owned coal by 2030. The SWIS Transmission Plan is now in active delivery, with Phase One unlocking more than 2 GW of renewable capacity and strengthening supply to Strategic Industrial Areas central to WA’s industrial decarbonisation.
WA’s next stages — guided by the 2027 Whole of System Plan — focus on long-term grid expansion, local manufacturing opportunities, and deeper engagement with communities and Traditional Owners. The State aims to position the SWIS for both domestic electrification and future clean industrial growth.

3. Panel Discussion — What It Takes to Build a Wind-Ready Grid

The panel brought developers, investors and system experts together to examine the practical realities of delivering transmission and connecting large-scale wind. Key themes included:

Transmission is the rate-limiting factor: While resource quality is strong, connection points, visibility, and certainty lag behind. Major transmission projects must keep pace with the scale of the development pipeline.
Faster, clearer connection processes are essential: Streamlined technical assessments, consistent standards, and improved queue management were highlighted as vital to prevent multi-year delays.
Technology will unlock capacity before new lines arrive: Grid-forming inverters, battery storage, digital twins and dynamic line rating were highlighted as immediate ways to increase hosting capacity while large projects are still being built.
Offtake certainty remains critical for financing: Developers emphasised the need for clearer pathways to PPAs to unlock capital — noting the industry still lacks a reliable “matchmaking mechanism” between wind projects and buyers.