New analysis from The Australian National University has pinpointed the best locations across Australia to build new powerlines, identifying 147 high-scoring transmission corridors that could unlock huge volumes of low-cost solar and wind generation.
The team assessed more than 500 possible routes and found that targeted investment in the highest-value corridors could accelerate the nation’s path to net zero while reducing system costs and lowering household energy bills.
ANU researcher Dr Cheng Cheng said transmission capacity has become a critical bottleneck in Australia’s clean-energy transition. With the nation tracking toward 82 per cent renewables by 2030, he said strategic decisions made today will shape costs, community impacts and energy reliability for decades.
“Australia can cut power bills and accelerate the renewable transition by targeting a small set of optimal transmission corridors to unlock top wind and solar zones, reducing system costs by up to 18 per cent,” Dr Cheng said.
Several of the strongest options identified run west from Brisbane into inland Queensland, opening large areas of flat, already-cleared land for solar and wind development. Dr Cheng noted these routes offer an alternative to more controversial proposals in forested areas north of Brisbane, where public debate over ridge-top wind farms has intensified.
The analysis also highlights the scale of the transformation required. Professor Andrew Blakers said Australia needs six times more solar and wind generation to reach net zero emissions, driven by rapid electrification across transport, heating and industry. Existing transmission will soon be saturated by new projects.
“Regions that host new transmission, solar farms and wind farms will benefit from billions of dollars in economic activity and land leasing fees, and thousands of long-term jobs,” he said.
The study points to the strategic value of major solar and wind developments in the Northern Territory and north Queensland, where strong winter resources can help offset the wet, windless conditions that often affect the south-east during the colder months. High-voltage direct current transmission could then move power efficiently to Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.
Each corridor was assessed against three main criteria: how much new renewable capacity it would unlock per dollar spent; how well local wind and solar resources complement each other to reduce storage needs; and whether routes avoid towns, native forests and national parks.
An interactive map showing the recommended transmission corridors in each state and territory is available on the ANU website. The full research is published in Applied Energy.
