The Regional Victorian Power Alliance (RVPA) has issued a resolute declaration opposing the proposed construction of high voltage transmission towers that make up the proposed Western Renewables Link (WRL) and VNI West in an open letter addressed to Premier Jacinta Allan.
The alliance’s concerns come in the wake of the collapse of six transmission towers at Anakie on February 13.
“It is imperative that we address how and why these towers failed,” it said.
“The proposed construction of 400 kilometres of transmission lines through regional western and north western Victoria for the proposed WRL and VNI West projects raises significant safety concerns for our communities, especially considering the use of proposed outdated technology.
“The collapse of these towers not only resulted in electricity outages for over 500,000 households at a yet to be accounted massive economic cost but also posed a severe threat to regional lives and the environment.”
The letter claims the state government’s reliance on the Australian Energy Market Operator’s guidance, without considering independent expert advice on energy transition and “superior solutions for high voltage transmission lines”, is unacceptable.
“The recent CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology state of the climate report highlighted the increasing frequency of extreme weather events due to global warming. In such a climate, it is imperative that we invest in transmission networks that are not only reliable and resilient but also sustainable and efficient,” the letter said.
“The proposed WRL and VNI West High Voltage Transmission projects do not meet these criteria.”
The government, however, has said design standards for transmission towers have been upgraded in recent years to ensure towers can withstand the more frequent strong winds Victoria is experiencing as the climate changes.
The design standards for transmission lines, set by Standards Australia in consultation with industry, were updated in 2010 to address high intensity wind loading from thunderstorms and downburst/downdraft winds and again in 2016 to consider the risk of cascade failures, or the failure of multiple towers during an event.
A state government spokesperson said new transmission lines will be built to the latest design standards to ensure towers withstand storms and other extreme weather Victorians are routinely facing as the climate changes.
“Progressing critical transmission projects like WRL and VNI West will deliver cheaper, more reliable renewable energy to homes and businesses across Victoria and keep the lights on,” they said.
The RVPA called on the government to establish a power grid that is reliable – minimizing outages and their detrimental effects, sustainable – minimizing environmental impact and adapting to climate change, and affordable – Considering the full triple-bottom line economic costs over the lifespan of this infrastructure, not just upfront direct investment.
Energy Safe Victoria is conducting a review into the transmission tower collapse at Anakie.
