Western Australia will see a major electricity supply boost as the federal and state governments invest AU$5 billion in renewable energy and storage projects across the state.
Funded through the federal Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), the projects will deliver 1.9 gigawatts of wind and solar generation alongside 482 megawatts of battery storage.
Spread across the Wheatbelt, Mid-West, Peel, and South West regions, the 10 new projects are expected to be operational by 2030, the same year the state is scheduled to exit coal-fired power.
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, hailed the announcement as a turning point for the state’s energy security.
“This is the biggest electricity boost in WA’s history, and it is exactly what the Capacity Investment Scheme was designed to deliver,” Bowen said.
“Cleaner, cheaper energy, backed by storage, built in the regions and powering Australian homes and businesses.”
The scale of the investment is unprecedented for the Western Energy Market (WEM).
Once complete, the projects will generate enough electricity to power more than one million Western Australian households. Additionally, the new battery infrastructure will provide enough firm capacity to support 400,000 homes during the four-hour peak demand window.
The projects include six onshore wind farms, three standalone big batteries and one hybrid solar and battery facility.
Beyond the power grid, the initiative is a major win for regional economies. The projects are expected to create roughly 7,000 construction jobs and 500 ongoing maintenance roles.
WA Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation, Amber-Jade Sanderson, noted that the state government’s use of power purchase agreements provided the certainty needed to get these projects off the ground.
“We are delivering the energy transition – establishing our state as a clean energy powerhouse and providing affordable, reliable and renewable power for Western Australians,” Sanderson said.
The projects will also prioritise Australian-made steel and include AU$255 million in direct investment into local communities, providing high-end training and employment opportunities for First Nations people.
Not including the latest announcement, 65 successful CIS projects have been announced to date, which translates to 13 GW of renewable generation and 21.6 GWh of clean dispatchable capacity.
With renewable generation in the WEM already hitting 46.1 per cent in the first quarter of this year, this latest boost is intended to ensure WA remains on track for its net-zero targets while keeping the lights on for decades to come.
