Queensland is opening a second ‘Local REZ’ to help deploy solar PV

Steven Miles, Premier of the Queensland Government, hopes the implementation of the LREZ will “put Sunshine Coast rooftops at the center of the renewable energy transition”.

LREZ will enable customers to share the benefits of renewable energy, particularly those who have not been able to invest in solar. Support will be provided by Energy Queensland, the state-owned Distribution System Operator (DNO), and its local, grid-connected storage units.

The benefits will be made available to residential and commercial customers in Townsville from January 2025, according to the government.

It is worth noting that the Queensland Government recently unveiled another LREZ zone dedicated to Caloundra. Both LREZ projects will have the same solar, storage and demand management capacity.

Queensland Government Minister for Energy and Clean Economy Mick de Brenni said the LREZ initiative puts “everything on the table, including cheaper energy and access to the benefits of rooftop solar.”

“Much like public ownership of Queensland’s energy assets, the LREZ project will put control of energy in the hands of the community,” he said.

“This initiative, supported by local members in North Queensland and the Smart Energy Council, is only possible because Queensland collectively owns the power distribution system – something only Labor is committed to.”