Renewable Energy
Background to Renewable Energy
Western Australia is undergoing a major transition in how energy is generated, stored and delivered. This shift is part of a broader move towards a more reliable, sustainable and affordable energy system that supports households, businesses and future growth across the State.
Energy Policy WA is responsible for leading the development of energy policy and initiatives that support this transition. Its work helps guide the State Government in delivering secure and affordable energy services, while planning for a lower emissions future.
Energy Policy WA Website
The State Government is also progressing a coordinated program of energy system reform through PoweringWA, which focuses on modernising electricity infrastructure, expanding renewable energy generation, and improving energy storage and transmission networks across Western Australia.
Powering WA Website
Together, these initiatives aim to:
- support reliable electricity supply across the State
- enable the development of renewable energy projects such as wind and solar
- strengthen and modernise the electricity network
- reduce emissions while maintaining system security and affordability
This transition is being delivered through coordinated planning between government, industry, landholders, traditional owners, and local governments to ensure energy infrastructure is developed in a structured and considered way.
Western Australian Planning Commission Renewable Energy Code and Guidelines
The Western Australian Planning Commission has released a draft Renewable Energy Planning Code and supporting Guidelines to provide a consistent, State-wide framework for the assessment of renewable energy development in Western Australia.
The Code establishes a structured planning approach for renewable energy infrastructure, including wind farms, with flexibility to extend to technologies such as solar farms and battery energy storage systems in the future. It is intended to improve consistency in decision-making across local government areas and provide clearer expectations for both proponents and decision-makers.
The purpose of the Code is to support a coordinated planning system that:
- provides consistent assessment criteria for renewable energy development across the State
- sets clear standards and requirements for development applications
- improves certainty around managing potential impacts such as land use conflict, visual amenity, noise, and environmental considerations
- supports orderly planning of energy infrastructure in line with State energy transition objectives
The accompanying Guidelines sit alongside the Code and provide practical guidance on matters such as:
- the information and documentation required for development applications
- technical reports and supporting studies that may be required
- expectations for early engagement with communities and stakeholders during project planning
Unlike the Code, the Guidelines are intended to provide flexible guidance rather than statutory requirements.
Together, the Code and Guidelines form part of a broader reform of Western Australia’s planning system to support the orderly development of renewable energy infrastructure and improve coordination between government, industry, and communities.
Renewable Energy Planning Code and Guidelines
Local Planning Scheme Regulations Information Sheet
Significant Development Regulations Information Sheet
Community Benefits Guidelines
The Western Australian Government has released the Community Benefits Guideline for Large-scale Renewable Energy Projects in the Southwest Interconnected System to support a fair and consistent approach to how communities share in the benefits of the State’s energy transition.
As renewable energy projects are developed across regional WA, the Guideline sets expectations for how project developers should contribute to local communities in addition to meeting all standard planning, environmental, and regulatory requirements.
A key feature of the framework is the use of Community Benefits Plans, which are developed with input from affected communities and outline how project contributions are directed into local priorities such as community infrastructure, environmental initiatives, training, and local development opportunities.
The Guidelines also establish a contribution model based on project size and technology type (including wind, solar, and battery storage), with funds administered through independent regional governance arrangements to support transparency and consistency.
Importantly, community benefits are intended to be additional to regulatory obligations and are designed to ensure host communities directly share in the long-term value of renewable energy development.
Further detail, including the full Guideline and supporting documents, is available via the links provided below.
Community Benefits Guidelines
Community Benefits Plans
Community Benefits Plans Pilot
Landholder Toolkit
The Department of Energy and Economic Diversification has developed a resource to assist landholders who are approached by wind farm developers or are considering hosting renewable energy infrastructure on their land.
The Toolkit is intended to support landholders in understanding the typical stages of wind farm development, the types of agreements that may be proposed, and key considerations when engaging with developers.
It is designed as a practical guide only and does not replace legal, financial, or technical advice. Each project and property is different, and landholders should seek independent professional advice before entering into any agreement or making binding decisions.
Hosting a Windfarm Toolkit
Live Electricity Generation Australia
Electricity generation in Australia operates across two main grids. Western Australia’s Southwest Interconnected System (SWIS) operates independently from the National Electricity Market (NEM), which supplies electricity to Australia’s eastern and southern states.
The live electricity generation widget below provides a real-time view of how electricity is currently being produced across the NEM, showing the contribution of different energy sources such as coal, gas, wind, and solar at any given time.
This comparison can help illustrate how energy systems vary across Australia and how renewable energy is increasingly contributing to the national electricity mix.
For Western Australia, more detailed information on local generation and storage assets, including wind farms, solar facilities, batteries, and other infrastructure can be explored through the Open Electricity project map. This provides an overview of the operational assets that support the SWIS and help supply electricity across the south-west region of the State.
Live National Electricity Mix
Open Electricity WA
Concerns and Complaints
The Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner (AEIC) provides an independent complaint and review service for members of the community who have concerns about renewable energy developments, including both proposed and operating projects.
This includes projects such as:
- Wind farms
- Large-scale solar farms (5 MW or more)
- Energy storage facilities, including large-scale batteries (1 MW or more)
- Major transmission projects
Complaints may be lodged by affected residents, or by a nominated representative approved by the Commissioner.
Further information is available at: https://www.aeic.gov.au
Additional Resources
The AEIC also provides a range of publications, guidance materials, and reports for landholders and community members seeking further information about renewable energy development.
These resources include updates and publications on topics such as:
- Landowner considerations and engagement with energy infrastructure projects
- Energy infrastructure planning, safety, and emergency management
- Health-related information and research relating to renewable energy projects
- Community engagement practices and best-practice guidance
- Regulatory updates, position statements, and annual reports
These materials are intended for general information and do not form part of the complaints process.
Further information is available at: https://www.aeic.gov.au/resources