Labor is helping to lower power bills and keep the lights on in Echuca with a new neighbourhood battery.
Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes announced Echuca Neighbourhood House as the site of one of the new locations that will receive a battery as part of the 100 Neighbourhood Batteries Program.
The Echuca Neighbourhood House (ENH) will install an additional 15kW rooftop solar and a new 51kWh battery with backup capability to deliver islandable power during outages, lower energy bills, and reduced emissions while enabling the site to operate as a resilient community hub and local clean energy showcase.
This is one of 10 new neighbourhood batteries delivered in this final round of the program – adding a total of 1,246 kilowatt hours (kWh) of new battery storage capacity for Victoria.
Neighbourhood batteries cut power bills by soaking up cheap renewable energy when it is plentiful, and dispatching it when it is needed most. They also provide a resilient source of power in the event of extreme weather outages.
Today’s announcement brings the total to 139 neighbourhood batteries across the state, with more than 23,000 kWh of energy storage for Victoria.
There will now be neighbourhood batteries funded in over 100 different neighbourhoods in 60 Local Government Areas, cutting power bills and boosting energy resilience for community groups and local residents.
The Program is helping achieve Victoria’s target of at least 2.6 Gigawatts (GW) of energy storage capacity by 2030 and 6.3GW by 2035 – enough energy to power around half of Victoria’s homes at peak energy use.
It is part of Labor’s record investment in renewables which has helped Victoria consistently achieve the lowest wholesale power prices and lowest average households power bills in the country.
For a list of funded battery projects, visit energy.vic.gov.au/grants/neighbourhood-batteries.
Quote attributable to Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes
“This neighbourhood battery will be a wonderful addition to Echuca Neighbourhood House, keeping their power bills low and ensuring their ability to be a resilient community hub in the event of a storm or natural disaster.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio
“We know the cost of living is tough for many Victorians, that’s why we’re building neighbourhood batteries that help lower power bills for households and communities.”
“Only Labor will do what’s needed to make energy more affordable and reliable.”
