17 December 2020 The New South Wales government will fast-track planning approvals for the first batch of transmission network upgrades that are set to unlock the state’s first Renewable Energy Zone and billions in new clean energy investment. NSW planning minister Rob Stokes announced on Thursday that the NSW government had declared the Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Transmission project a ‘Critical State Significant Infrastructure’ project, seeing it granted priority status throughout the planning approval process. The project will see new transmission lines and substations constructed across the Central West Orana region, designed to boost the ability for new wind, solar and storage projects built in the region to connect to the grid and deliver power to the rest of the grid.