SA announces laws to unlock hydrogen and renewable energy

The Government of South Australia has announced the introduction of a Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Bill, designed to capitalise on what it calls the renewable energy ‘gold rush’, by streamlining and coordinating the development of hydrogen and renewable energy projects.

The Bill is the nation’s first legislative framework designed to provide a coordinated approach to the burgeoning hydrogen and renewable energy industries.

The SA Government said that existing frameworks have served South Australia well, helping it reach over 70% renewable energy, but that it was clear the state is headed for a new wave of large-scale hydrogen and renewable energy development at a scale not seen before — with more than $20 billion worth of projects in capital development.

The change in scale and complexity, including several proposed large, vertically integrated projects, demands a single end-to-end framework that can consider the needs of the environment, landowners, communities and the state’s strategic and economic ambitions.

The Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Bill represents six Acts being merged into one, minimising red tape for prospective investors. It is designed to facilitate a straightforward, competitive, government-led approach to large-scale hydrogen and renewable energy development in the state, supporting the government’s Hydrogen Jobs Plan.

“Our state is home to some of the most prospective wind and solar resources — not just in the country, but the world,” said Premier Peter Malinauskas. “This is the equivalent of finding oil in Saudi Arabia, or striking gold in Victoria. To maximise this opportunity, we must get our legislative and regulatory framework right.”

The Bill applies to both freehold and government-owned land, as well as state waters, and will ensure community and investor certainty and clarity, as well as consistently reliable performance across the social, environmental and safety aspects of the industry.

On freehold land, proponents will need to secure access to land through direct agreement with landowners, preserving current arrangements. A new competitive system will be introduced for conferring access and licences for projects on pastoral land and state waters, enabling the government to responsibly assign access to some of the state’s most prospective areas for renewable energy development.

“Developing this unique regulatory framework will provide significant opportunity for South Australia to attract and retain high-quality investment, confirming us as a global leader in the clean energy transition,” said Tom Koutsantonis, Minister for Energy and Mining.

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