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The Victorian Government supports the growth of the renewable energy technology sector through initiatives that:
- identify areas in our state with the greatest potential for renewable energy
- strengthen our transmission networks to connect renewable energy resources
- support the development of innovative renewable energy projects.
Victorian Renewable Energy Target auctions VRET1 and VRET2
The Victorian Renewable Energy Target auctions VRET1 and VRET2 help us meet our renewable energy targets by providing long-term contracts that create investment certainty to build new energy generation projects.
Renewable energy zones
Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) are areas in Victoria with the greatest potential for renewable energy, such as wind, sunshine, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat. We’re planning the future energy grid with the batteries and high-voltage wires needed to develop renewable energy resources at scale and in a coordinated way. Visit VicGrid to see how we are developing our REZs.
Innovation
The key to delivering the energy transformation will be innovation in technology solutions, business operations and stakeholder engagement.
Five rounds of the New Energy Jobs Fund supported Victorian-based projects that:
- create long-term sustainable jobs
- increase the uptake of renewable energy generation
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- drive innovation in new energy technologies.
The Energy Innovation Fund supports activities that progress innovative projects to commercial products. This includes:
- feasibility and pre-investment studies
- front-end-engineering-design
- large-scale pilots and demonstrations.
The Business and Industry Engagement (BIE) team is your first port of call for guidance, information and access to industry networks and programs. BIE assists business and industry stakeholders to navigate government and connect with the relevant policy, regulatory and program areas to help progress their projects and technologies.
BIE connects stakeholders with helpful industry tools, contacts, and referrals across the whole of Victoria’s renewable energy value chain to leverage strategic partnerships. BIE promotes Victorian investment opportunities to prospective international and interstate markets and coordinate visit programs for international business energy delegations.
Managing impacts of renewable energy projects on biodiversity
We are taking action to balance protection of Victoria’s unique and threatened biodiversity while enabling essential new renewable energy projects.
A better approach to managing biodiversity impacts of renewable energy projects outlines actions to support the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, while protecting our precious biodiversity. This will provide energy proponents, and investors, greater clarity and predictability when it comes to the process for having projects assessed.
Actions include:
- Improved spatial analysis that identifies risks and opportunities for biodiversity harm reduction and renewable energy development, which includes the new Habitat Value Map and Marine Biodiversity Values map.
- Targeted research projects to fill critical knowledge gaps about bird and bat impacts and the effectiveness of mitigation measures, to inform policy development. Outcomes will be published as they become available on DEECA's Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research website (ARI).
- Improved guidance for addressing the impacts of renewable energy facilities that reflects a strategic and risk-based approach in line with global best practice - Handbook for the development of renewable energy in Victoria.
DEECA conducted public consultation on the proposed guidance between December 2024 and February 2025. Further information on the consultation process and a summary of the outcomes of the process are available on the Engage Victoria website.
Ensuring benefits for host communities
It is important that renewable energy developments deliver benefits for host communities. Our guide for developers outlines requirements to undertake respectful and considered engagement with host communities; as part of any project and deliver long-term benefits.
Solar energy facilities
The Minister for Planning is the responsible authority for new planning permit applications of all energy generation facilities that are 1 megawatt or greater. Learn more about how we are supporting development of well sited, well designed solar energy generation facilities in Victoria.
Page last updated: 29/05/25