What does this project have to do with discussions about restoring Lake Pedder?

As owners and operators of hydro-electric assets around Tasmania, we have a responsibility to generate renewable electricity and ensure our assets operate safely and efficiently. The upcoming work at Edgar Dam is about meeting those responsibilities.

We recognise that Lake Pedder holds significance for many Tasmanians. While we can’t change the past, we can always learn and grow. We recognise and value our role as custodians of the significant areas of Tasmania’s land and waterways, and continuously strive for best practice management through our operations and to minimise our impact.

Present-day Lake Pedder plays an important role in Tasmania’s energy security and the future of our nation’s transition to a renewable energy future. Lake Pedder is important because its catchment provides a significant 40 per cent of the water that flows through the Gordon Power Station which can generate up to 432 MW of electricity or approximately 13 per cent of Tasmania's annual energy needs. It is Tasmania’s largest power station in terms of both what it can power at any time, in any weather conditions and the total energy it provides in a typical year. More importantly, however, the Gordon-Pedder scheme is one of only two capable of operating during extended periods of dry and still weather, meaning that it is integral for energy security when other storages are low and wind farms cannot operate. This is particularly the case as we face a changing climate because this energy can be accessed quickly to provide critical firming (reliability) to an increasingly variable energy market. 

To deliver critical safety outcomes for communities and the environment, it is important that we’re able to get on and complete the strengthening of Edgar Dam. This decision will not influence any government decision about Lake Pedder's future.