GWMWater is a step closer to trialling a community energy initiative in Donald, thanks to $400,000 in funding from the State Government.
Funding from the 100 Neighbourhood Batteries Program will support the water business to progress a Donald Community Power Plant Project.
The pilot initiative aims to reduce electricity bills and improve local grid stability by installing a grid-connected battery in Donald. If the initiative is successful, this project may be expanded to other towns within the GWMWater service area.
The proposed battery would be installed at the redundant GWMWater water storage site on Racecourse Road in Donald. If additional external funding can be secured, plans to expand battery capacity and include additional solar generation at the site are in place. GWMWater has been working with Donald 2000 Inc. and Powercor Australia to develop project concepts.
In January 2024, GWMWater was awarded $85,000 from the Water Minister’s Climate Innovation Challenge to explore the feasibility of a community energy project for Donald. Building on this initiative, GWMWater submitted an application for $400,000 in additional funding to commence the project’s implementation.
Facilitating community energy initiatives is an integral component of GWMWater’s Clean Energy Strategy. This strategy outlines GWMWater’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2035, which includes sourcing 100 per cent of electricity from renewable sources by 2025 while ensuring that energy investments do not increase customers’ water bills.
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