NT community claims ‘Australian first’ with solar-powered microgrid
Residents in the remote Northern Territory community of Marlinja are preparing to power up what is being described as Australia’s first 100% First Nations-owned and grid-connected solar microgrid.
CEFC confirms $490 million commitment to accelerate NSW grid transformation
Development of the Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone is predicted to now accelerate with the federal government’s green bank announcing a $490 million commitment to support the development of key grid infrastructure in the New South Wales central west.
Ausgrid backs community battery to boost network stability
New South Wales distributed network provider Ausgrid has powered up its third battery energy storage system under the federal government’s $200 million Community Batteries for Household Solar program.
Delays in energy transmission and generation projects trigger reliability warnings
The Australian Energy Market Operator has issued new warnings of potential breaches in the reliability standards for the National Electricity Market in coming years due to delays in key transmission projects and looming retirements of coal-fired generators.
AEMC aims to plug gap with ring-fencing rule for grid connections
The Australian Energy Market Commission has published a new ring-fencing rule for transmission network companies as it seeks to boost competition for grid connection services and speed up the deployment of new solar, wind and battery projects.
Melbourne underground network revamped to future-proof power needs
With demand for power in Melbourne forecast to grow from its current peak of 470 MW in recent years to 700 MW, electricity distributor CitiPower has begun phase one of a major upgrade to the city’s high voltage underground cable network.
Neara boss says network access issues remain after budget spend
The focus of the federal government’s $22.7 billion commitment to Australia’s clean energy future has been queried with concerns raised about the capacity of the nation’s electricity network to support the shift from fossil fuel generation to renewables.
Paper identifies NEM-WEM interconnector to support shift to renewables
A high-voltage interconnector linking Australia’s eastern and western electricity grids would optimise the generation-storage mix for a minimum-cost solution as the nation transitions from a fossil-fuel-dependent economy to one based on renewable energy, according to a new paper.
Elgin gets green light for biggest solar and storage project to date
A 150 MW solar farm and a 250 MWh battery energy storage system proposed for Victoria’s Central Highlands by British renewables developer Elgin Energy has won planning approval from the state government.
Plibersek approves 800 MW solar farm and big battery in Queensland
The Australian government has ticked off on a more than 1 GW solar farm and battery energy storage facility being developed in Queensland’s Southern Downs region.
