Approval times for large-scale solar, wind and battery projects in New South Wales (NSW) are amongst the slowest in Australia according to a new report from the Clean Energy Investor Group (CEIG).
The Delivering Major Clean Energy Projects in NSW: 2026 Update shows state significant solar projects are now taking an average 1,138 days to satisfy the state’s planning approval process. This is up from 705 days when average development approval timeframes were last calculated in 2023, and is more than 10 times Western Australia’s 94-day average. In Queensland, the approvals process for large-scale solar projects averages 355 days, just ahead of South Australia with 354 and Victoria with 340.
Standalone battery projects are averaging 614 days to progress through the NSW planning approval system, up from 530 days in 2023. Western Australia is the quickest jurisdiction with grid-scale battery projects taking 168.5 days to clear the approvals process while projects in Queensland average 192 days, ahead of Victoria (247) and South Australia (252).
Approval times for wind farms in NSW have improved since 2023, dropping from 3,488 days on average to 1,384, but still take longer than other states.
CEIG Chief Executive Officer Richie Merzian said planning approval processes are not the only bottleneck for renewable energy investors and developers in NSW, with rising capital costs, transmission and curtailment risk and logistics constraints among post-approval barriers.
“NSW topped our 2025 member survey as the most attractive state for clean energy investment, however there are still delays and bottlenecks when it comes to turning dollars into electrons in the state,” he said.
“NSW is charging developers up to 48 times more for a planning application than Queensland but taking three times longer to approve solar and wind farms, something has to change.”
Merzian said NSW has taken “important steps” to improve the system but approval processes for major clean energy projects remain “too slow, too uncertain and too expensive.”
This he said is putting at risk the growth of an industry that is critical to the state’s energy security as coal generation retires and electricity demand grows.
Data shows there are 38 state significant solar energy projects currently seeking approval in NSW, along with 68 battery energy storage, and 48 wind projects but Merzian said it is critical that steps are taken to improve approval certainty and reduce delays.
“Clean energy investors are ready to deploy billions of dollars into renewable energy and infrastructure in NSW, but the planning system must be equipped to facilitate timely and efficient decision-making,” he said.
The CEIG has called for better-resourced development agencies and streamlined planning and assessment pathways for major renewable energy generation and storage projects.
The report also recommends reviewing NSW’s development application fee structure, noting that fees are heavily linked to project capital costs even where higher costs do not necessarily increase assessment complexity or government resourcing requirements.
Comments
Please login to comment
Wednesday, June 10, 2026
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Tuesday, June 9, 2026
11:00 am – 12:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Thursday, June 11, 2026
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
Monday, June 1, 2026
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm CEST, Berlin, Madrid, Paris
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
6 am – 7:00 am CEST, Berlin
Friday, June 12, 2026
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm CEST, Berlin, Paris, Madrid
The new pv magazine Global May issue is now available!
Mountains to climb
Available in print and digital formats.
Entries open in seven categories: Modules, Inverters, BoS, BESS, Manufacturing, Sustainability, Projects.
April 01 – August 31, 2026
Energy-hungry data centers open new doors for solar and storage.
Available in print and digital formats.
You have no items in your basket.
