EnergyConnect injects billions in social value into communities

A comprehensive analysis of EnergyConnect’s delivery has found the nation-critical project generated $4.1 billion in social value over three years including wide ranging employment, business, community, environmental and First Nations outcomes.

It is the first time Transgrid has engaged Social Value Portal to use its leading Global TOM System to measure the social, economic and environmental value created for regional communities by one of its major projects.

“Regional communities deserve real and meaningful benefits that reflect their vital contribution to the energy transition, and we are proud that through projects like EnergyConnect we’ve been able to deliver an extraordinary social and economic legacy,” Transgrid Executive General Manager of Corporate Affairs, Stakeholder Engagement and Environment, Maryanne Graham said.

“From jobs and apprenticeships, to supply contracts for local and First Nations businesses, training opportunities, environmental initiatives, and funding for community facilities and services, EnergyConnect has delivered more than $4.1 billion in social value for regional communities.

“The project enables cheaper renewable energy to be shared between NSW, South Australia and Victoria, providing access to lower-cost and cleaner power to households and businesses while strengthening reliability and security of the national grid.”

Initiatives contributing to EnergyConnect’s $4.1 billion social value boost include:

• $2 billion invested in supply contracts with Australian and NSW businesses including 353 local companies across the Riverina, Murray and Sunraysia regions
• 2,193 local people and 94 apprentices employed
• $2 million Legacy 100 program training Australia’s own transmission line construction workforce to support the nation’s energy transition
• 7,027 accredited training courses undertaken by workers
• $1.5 million Workforce Development Strategic Partnership between Transgrid and Regional Development Australia, delivering a major jobs and skills boost to the Riverina and Murray regions
• $2 million scholarship fund supporting up to 100 Charles Sturt University students to invest in the next generation of engineers
• $100 million for environmental stewardship including biodiversity conservation areas totalling 23,000ha to protect some of Australia’s most threatened species
• $23 million invested in supply contracts with First Nations businesses
• 31 First Nations people and 11 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander apprentices employed
• More than 5,000 Indigenous artefacts up to 3,000 years-old salvaged, protected, catalogued and returned to Country following project construction.

“Using a robust, internationally-accredited and locally-informed framework, we have been able to quantify the broader economic and social value of project activities across the regions,” Ms Graham said.

“This provides a practical way to evidence local employment, skills, supplier participation, social procurement, community investment, emissions reduction, biodiversity-related activity and outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“This evidence will help us shape future environmental and social programs by identifying which activities deliver the greatest value for regional communities hosting critical transmission infrastructure to support our energy transition.”

Construction of the 700km NSW section of EnergyConnect, from the South Australian border to Wagga Wagga and into Victoria, was completed earlier this year, comprising 1,500 towers, 10,000km of high-voltage cabling, and 10 million worker hours.

The EnergyConnect Social Value Report can be found here.