Representatives from the Australian Market Energy Operator (AEMO) have fronted a forum and acknowledged the frustration farmers have had in not getting answers over proposed transmission line projects.
AEMO executive general manager system design Merryn York and AEMO Victorian planning group manager Nicola Falcon answered several questions from farmers at the forum.
At the forum, hosted by The Loddon Herald, Ms Falcon acknowledged that some farmers may have seen the project as a shock to them and all they have worked for.
"I have spoken to a number of fourth or fifth generation farmers and as they want to know more about the project, and that they are not getting questions answered, they are feeling frustrated, disrespected, really stressed or fearful," she said.
"And for that I am really sorry."
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She said that when AEMO eventually went through the process to select option five - a 500 kilovolt double-circuit overhead transmission line connecting to the Western Renewables Link at Bulgana to EnergyConnect in the NSW Riverina via a new terminal station in northern Victoria - it was done in an objective way.
She also said there were 13 newspaper advertisements about the project, and 33 stakeholder briefings were undertaken, but also acknowledged "shortcomings" in pop up sessions that were held in communities.
Ms Falcon reaffirmed that farmers will be able to run livestock and grow crops underneath the lines but wanted to minimise the impact on farmers who want to use taller equipment or drones to monitor crops.
"One of the benefits of [big towers] is that you can actually run more equipment under towers at 80 metres high than smaller towers," she said.
Ms York said that coal plants were bound to close in the next decade, and it was imperative to replace them with projects like the Victoria New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West) project.
"We need to be making sure we are replacing those [coal fire stations] and that we have the infrastructure to allow all of the people... right across the national electricity market... to be able to receive their electricity supply reliably, securely and affordably," she said.
Ms York said she "did not agree" with a plan put forward by Professor Bruce Mountain from the Victorian Energy Policy Centre (VEPC), which said Victoria would be better served by using existing energy infrastructure in Gippsland in combination with renewables
"We think [that the VEPC plan] will not deliver the reliable, secure, affordable, supply in the way that we need it to power our economy and meet the needs of electricity consumers," she said.
Professor Mountain, who was also at the forum, said he believed AEMO had made errors in their analysis and used flawed assumptions which led to a biased analysis.
"On the fundamental benefit on the transmission line... [they say] the vast bulk of the benefit is avoiding pumped hydro in Victoria that would be built from 2040 onwards, and in its place they will source electrical batteries from outside the state," he said.
"That storage can be built as cost effectively in Victoria... how can it be worthwhile building a transmission line to import what we can build here?"
Responding to a question from Victorian Farmers' Federation Wedderburn branch present Graham Nesbit about whether the project would benefit NSW more than Victoria, Ms York said local generation could supply local needs, but a lot would be required for that to happen.
"In terms of the amount of generation that is required to transition to renewables, we need six times the amount of distributed storage that we have at the moment [and] we need eight times of the wind generation that we have at the moment," she said.
"Interconnectors allow a more economic outcome in terms of the overall amount of infrastructure that is required."
The forum also heard from Victorian Nationals Leader Peter Walsh, Energy Grid Alliance director Darren Edwards, and Tourello farmer Kathryn Myers, also representing the VFF.
Mr Walsh, who met with AEMO on Wednesday with other National MPs, said there had been a failing in consultation.
"Farmers are practical people and go to practical questions, and to my mind there should have been a very clear decision-making tree set out with information that potentially would have been needed as each decision point goes on," he said.
He also supported Federal Nationals leader David Littleproud's call for a federal Senate inquiry, saying there was no point in having a state government inquiry.
Ms Myers said there needed to be a pause in the process and alternatives considered.
"We need to stop and get this process right, because it will be in our landscape for our children and our grandchildren," Ms Myers said.
"We need to recognise that public goods come at costs and if it costs a bit more to do this transmission infrastructure properly, I think that's a cost that our state and our consumers need to take."