The Total Environment Centre says people power was behind a decision to shelve a major electricity project.
Transgrid planned to spend about $250-million on a new high-voltage powerline linking Bonshaw and Lismore.
Yesterday it announced the building project had been cancelled because a review found it would not be needed until at least the 2020s.
TEC spokesman Mark Byrne says Transgrid may have learned a valuable corporate lesson.
“Listen to the people who are supposed to be served by a project like this,” he said.
“We’ve had a big uptake of solar on the north coast, and so people on the north coast are showing that they’re quite capable of meeting their own energy needs and don’t need a big new transmission line to bring coal-and-gas-fired power down from Queensland.
“Transgrid is actually taking that message on board.
“There’s been a really significant shift in their corporate culture just over the last year.”
The project is the second of its kind to be shelved by Transgrid this year.
Plans for a new transmission line between Stroud and Lansdowne on the mid-north coast were dumped in April.
Greens MP John Kaye says the projects were almost carbon copies of each other, and neither was necessary.
“Both of them were feeding into areas where there were enormous opportunities for both energy efficiency and local roof-top solar generation,” he said.
“These are cheaper, they are better for the environment.
“The only remaining question is the issue of the easement.
“There are a number of land owners who are still living with the uncertainty of knowing that some day Transgrid might come back.”
Transgrid has released a statement confirming its decision.
It plans to hold a community forum in Tenterfield next Saturday.
Submissions from affected people will be accepted until November the 22nd.
The company says it plans in a prudent and sensible fashion, and is always willing to defer or cancel projects if appropriate.
