The state opposition has accused the government of trying to bury its delayed Whole of System Plan for the energy grid, after the initiative’s name was quietly changed.
The state opposition has accused the government of trying to bury its delayed Whole of System Plan for the energy grid, after the initiative’s name was quietly changed.
The WOSP was to outline scenario plans for WA's main energy grid – the South West Interconnected System – and is a key document for energy sector participants.
The plan was supposed to be released in September 2025 but pushed back by two years, as the government instead announced plans for the development of Strategic Industrial Areas around Collie, Kemerton, Coolangatta and Kwinana at a Business News event that month.
And while the WOSP remains in the works, a recent consultation paper from the Department of Energy and Economic Diversification revealed it would no longer go by that name.
The WOSP will be renamed the “Future Energy System Outlook”. The deadline for delivery remains September 2027.
Opposition energy spokesperson Steve Thomas accused the government of “an attempt to hide the embarrassment of a Whole of System Plan they failed to deliver”.
“It is obvious that they are trying to rebadge their failure to deliver the plan by giving it a different name” he said.
Mr Thomas said he expected further delays to the plan, given Energy Policy Western Australia had started a new consultation process to inform it.
He said the 2027 deadline was still too late for a plan guiding the energy transition.
“Frankly I don’t think the state of Western Australia can wait that long for a proper energy plan to be developed” Mr Thomas said.
Energy Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson strongly refuted that suggestion.
“The name FESO better reflects the fact that it doesn’t represent a single plan, but a suite of plausible future pathways,” she told Business News in a statement.
“The final FESO report will meet the statutory requirements of the Whole of System Plan and will be delivered by September 2027 in line with existing requirements.”
The minister claimed the opposition did not have plans for WA’s energy future.
“They don’t understand how the system works and undermine projects which will deliver cleaner, more affordable and more reliable power for our state,” she said.
The change comes months after debate over the importance of the plan for industry was reignited at a Business News event.
Collgar Renewables CEO Sam Pearce around a lack of investment certainty because of the WoSP delay reignited debate over the industry’s position.
Ms Sanderson said at the time that she “completely rejected” the suggestion that the delay has caused uncertainty for the renewables sector.
She maintained the timing of the plan was pushed back in consultation with industry.
