Euroa gets green light for energy project

04 Sep 2018 Shepparton News, Shepparton VIC (General News) How many towns can boast their own energy grid or microgrid? Euroa is soon set join the ranks after a bid hatched by a local environment group and the community was given the green light. A $6 million energy MicroGrid is set to be developed in a partnership between Euroa businesses and helped along by more than $600 000 of Victorian Government funding. The project aims to have almost 600 kW of new solar PV installed and up to 400 kWh of new batteries. The project may eventually extend to the residential community of Euroa and to other towns as it will demonstrate how a microgrid can operate. Euroa Environment Group president Shirley Saywell said the grant was a testament to the determination of a little community to be part of the energy revolution which state and territory governments are now delivering. The project was as much about rural town revitalisation as it was about reducing greenhouse gases and energy costs. Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes announced the funding under the Microgrid Demonstration Initiative program. Business owners were approached by the EEG last year with the proposal, based around the generation, storage and sharing of solar energy, the group says. The micro-grid aims to have participating businesses become producers and distributors of power via solar panels and batteries.