An app will allow users to estimate potential income from wind or solar projects on their land. Photo: Mick Tsikas/AAP
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MICK TSIKAS
Work will be fast-tracked on software that can assess how much landowners could earn from installing renewable energy projects on their properties.
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Software that could warn farmers if they were being short-changed by renewable energy proposals could be available sooner after a $500,000 investment in the technology.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency announced the investment to fast-track development of the $1.2 million app, which is being created by NSW company Rela, in March.
The platform, which is expected to launch later in 2025, will allow landowners to estimate potential income from wind or solar projects on their properties while also retaining land for farming.
The investment comes months after a report found farmers could raise as much as $1.1 billion from renewable energy infrastructure by 2030, and a review recommended better information and education to ensure landowners were compensated appropriately.
The digital tool, called Rela Assess 2.0, will be designed to deliver independent insights into revenue from renewable energy projects and will allow landowners to carve out exclusions zones on their land for farming.
Landholders could earn up to $1.1 billion for hosting clean energy projects by 2030, a report found. Photo: Mick Tsikas/AAP
The up-to-date advice could put landowners in a better negotiating position with developers, and give them greater confidence when making deals, ARENA chief operating officer Chris Faris said.
“By understanding the renewable energy potential of their land, they will be better equipped to engage and negotiate with renewable energy developers,” Mr Faris said.
“This software will empower Australian landholders to make informed decisions about participating in the clean energy transition.”
The platform would build on the company’s existing software, which had been used by more than 500 landowners to evaluate renewable energy projects to facilitate $2.9 billion in investments, Rela chief executive Michael Katz said.
New features in the software would include additional data layers and customisation and would be available without charge, he said.
“Landowners are at the centre of our platform, giving them access to the information they need to negotiate fair and equitable outcomes with the developer of their choice,” Mr Katz said.
“(It delivers) not just the best financial return but also a contractual agreement that meets the needs of their family, business and farm production system to continue their vital work as primary producers.”
The announcement comes after a report prepared by Farmers for Climate Action and the Clean Energy Council found landholders could earn between $900 million and $1.1 billion for hosting clean energy projects on their properties by 2030, rising as high as $9.1 billion by 2050.
But the Dyer Community Engagement Review found that landholders needed more information about proposed clean energy projects and recommended developers be subject to a national rating scheme.
Renewable energy projects are expected to ramp up in the coming years after the Federal Government committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 43 per cent in 2030, and for renewable energy to make up 82 per cent of power in the national grid.
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