A 100 hectare solar farm, to be built three kilometres north-east of Molong has been welcomed by Cabonne Mayor Ian Gosper.
Once completed the solar farm will gener- ate 62,000 MWh of electricity a year, enough to power approximately 10,650 households which is significantly more than the total within Cabonne Shire.
The electricity would be fed into the elec- tricity grid providing renewable energy to Molong, Orange and potentially Dubbo.
The development process has now been referred to the Joint Regional Planning Panel for assessment and determination.
“If the solar farm is approved, it will be great news for Cabonne and the environment,” Cr Gosper said.
The development application follows confirmation in September last year that a $109 million solar farm would be built at Manildra, 20 kilometres west of Molong.
The location and climate is ideal for the solar generation industry and it places it perfectly next to power sub stations.
Terrain Solar Managing Directors Chris Wilson and Simon Ingram said that, combined with the solar farm being constructed at Manildra, the Molong Solar Farm could help transform the region into a renewable energy hub creating jobs and ongoing op- portunities for the local economy.
“The solar farm is strategically located in an area of high solar irradiance and tem- perate conditions making it an ideal climate for solar generation,” they said.
“We have been fortunate to partner with a very progressive local community and this project represents our core business mandate which is to work with landowners to bring renewable energy investment into regional areas.”
If the development is approved, Terrain Solar hopes to start construction by the end of the year.