Australia's old industrial heartland could be powered reliably by new offshore wind as the Hunter region joins the race with international backers.
Consultation opened on Thursday for a new offshore wind industry in the Pacific Ocean off Australia's eastern coast, just days after the energy market regulator warned of a shortfall without urgent investment in new assets.
Although the Gippsland zone off Victoria's La Trobe Valley is expected to be the first region in Australia to power up, the Hunter region in NSW is one of six priority regions around the country with world-class offshore wind potential.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the proposed area sits alongside the Hunter, an important industrial hub, and home to the nation's largest smelter.
He said offshore wind in this region could support decarbonisation and new jobs in manufacturing powered by cheaper, cleaner energy.
"The world's climate emergency is regional Australia's jobs opportunity, and the Hunter is uniquely placed to capitalise on this," Mr Bowen said.
"I'm encouraging residents from across the Hunter to have their say on the proposed area and what they would like to see from this offshore zone."
The renewables arm of French energy giant EDF this month bought the Newcastle Offshore Wind project, which is close to the port and existing transmission.
EDF Renewables says it will be developed in stages to support Australia's renewable energy targets and align with the retirement of ageing coal-fired power stations in the region.
Offshore wind farms can be strategically positioned, each capable of replacing a coal-fired plant and plugging into the electricity grid.
Modelling in Australia by developers and independent experts shows offshore wind can operate at high capacity at night, when onshore wind and solar are both at a low ebb.
For scale, one rotation of one offshore wind turbine provides as much energy as an average rooftop solar installation generates in one day.
The six proposed regions are intended to support Australia's ambition to get the electricity grid to 82 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
The other regions earmarked are off the Illawarra in NSW, the Southern Ocean region off Portland in Victoria, the Bass Strait region off northern Tasmania, and the Indian Ocean region off Perth/Bunbury.
