Western Australian local governments are set to sign up for a new aggregated agreement, an Australian-first that has the potential to deliver 100 per cent renewable power to 51 councils.
The agreement was negotiated by the WA Local Government Association (WALGA), giving local Governments until 18 November 2021 to formalise their participation in the project, which would make it the largest of its kind undertaken in Australia.
WALGA President Mayor, Tracey Roberts, said the agreement would deliver both the option for 100 per cent renewable energy for the sector’s contestable supply and savings of up to $5 million.
Mayor Roberts said WALGA had worked on developing the agreement with a steering group comprising senior representatives from a number of local governments.
“The enthusiasm for this project in the sector and the terms that have been achieved for the community are outstanding,” Mayor Roberts said.
“There is a genuine appetite in the local government sector to lead the way on zero emissions and the shift to renewable energy is a giant step in the right direction.”
The WA local government initiative is the first renewables and carbon offset aggregation project granted authorisation by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
It will access renewable energy supply from three WA wind farms at Albany, Emu Downs and Collgar.
“Sourcing renewable energy from WA providers was a strong requirement of the sector and further supports the direct benefit to the community in supporting local industry,” Mayor Roberts said.
