A Scoping Report for the Cooma Solar and Battery project has been submitted to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI), outlining key elements of the project. With a proposed production capacity of 100 megawatts (MW) and 80MW of battery storage, Cooma Solar will be assessed as a State Significant Development under Part 4 of the NSW Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
The Scoping Report is the initial phase of the planning approvals process .
The report provides community members and stakeholders with preliminary technical information, an environmental assessment on the project and information on further assessments to be conducted during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS) process. It also outlines how ACEN Australia will continue to consult and engage with the community and stakeholders.
The report was accepted by DPHI in early July and is now available to view on the department’s website for State Significant Development Applications.
Next steps
The Department will now assess the Scoping Report to prepare and issue its Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) for the project. The SEARs will set out issues that must be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project. The EIS will include an analysis of environmental, social and other impacts of the proposed project and outline mitigation measures.
We expect to submit the EIS to the Department in early 2025, pending receipt of SEARS.
Commmunity engagement will be an important element in developing the EIS. ACEN Australia is developing a community consultation program that provides the community and stakeholders multiple opportunities to understand the project. It will encourage input, hear community views and, where possible, use that feedback to inform changes to our project proposal.
In the meantime, community members are encouraged to register for regular updates from our project team. Scroll to the bottom of this website to sign up for updates on Cooma Solar.