Can renewable energy zones become regional equity zones? Policy coherence and social equity in the Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap in New South Wales, Australia

Governments across a range of countries are establishing renewable energy zones to accelerate and coordinate the construction of large-scale solar, wind and battery infrastructure and associated transmission lines, mainly in regions outside metropolitan areas. Renewable energy zones intensify the geographical concentration of both the benefits and impacts for communities living near this infrastructure, raising both opportunities and challenges for policymaking. This article applies theories of policy coherence to ask: (a) what synergies and tensions arise between renewable energy and social equity for regional communities when establishing and implementing renewable energy zones, and (b) what political factors drive synergies and tensions between these policy objectives and how could they be managed more effectively? We present findings from a case study of the Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, drawing on documentary analysis, interviews and focus groups. We identify several drivers of incoherence, including political polarisation over energy policy, limited inter-agency coordination and scale mismatches that disincentivise community energy initiatives. Drivers of coherence include cross-party dialogue, strengthening institutional capacity and incentives for project developers to invest in community engagement and benefit-sharing. Our analysis yields lessons for the rollout of renewable energy zones internationally, while also demonstrating the value of a policy coherence lens for advancing equity and justice together with other policy objectives.