- Published:
- Wednesday 26 August 2026
Cheaper, more reliable power is on the way for even more Victorian households.
Australia’s first offshore wind auction is now live, creating thousands of new jobs.
Minister for Energy and Resources Jaclyn Symes today opened the Request for Proposal process for Victoria’s first two gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind.
This will provide enough energy to power around 1.5 million homes each year.
Victoria has some of the best offshore wind resources in the world.
Making the most of them will add large amounts of new renewable energy to the grid as the state’s ageing and increasingly unreliable coal-fired generators retire.
Offshore wind will complement Victoria’s growing solar, onshore wind and storage, helping keep the lights on and put downward pressure on power bills.
Projects can now bid for contracts and will be assessed on value for money, deliverability and benefits for local workers, businesses and communities.
Successful projects will move towards investment, construction and operation, ensuring Gippsland continues its proud history as an energy powerhouse.
Contracts are expected to be integrated into the national Electricity Services Entry Mechanism (ESEM), providing a pathway towards Victoria’s target of nine GW of offshore wind.
The auction will close in August 2027, with contracts expected to be awarded in 2028.
Victoria's record investment in renewables is delivering the lowest wholesale power prices in the country.
Adding more cheap renewable energy will keep driving prices down.
Renewables accounted for 45 per cent of the state’s total electricity generation.
Labor’s plan for the energy transition will create 68,000 jobs in Victoria by 2040 – with 37 percent of those flowing into regional areas.
To learn more, visit: energy.vic.gov.au/renewable-energy/offshore-wind-energy.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy and Resources Jaclyn Symes
“This auction is a giant leap towards getting Australia’s first offshore wind projects built - attracting billions in investment, creating thousands of jobs and delivering the reliable power we need as coal retires.”
“Victoria has some of the best offshore wind resources in the world. This auction is about harnessing that advantage and building the next generation of energy right here in Victoria.”
“Jess Wilson’s One Nation-Liberal Coalition want to rip up energy projects without a real plan to keep the lights on, while we’re getting on with building the energy Victoria needs for the future.”