The Western Australian government has established a AU$1.4 billion Clean Energy Fund to support a growing slate of projects that will decarbonise the state.
The fund is designed to fast-track a suite of decarbonisation projects across the South West, one of which is the Clean Energy Link (CEL) – East, which has been officially declared a priority project under the State Development Act 2025.
The CEL – East expansion will connect new wind and solar farms east of Collie to the South West Interconnected System. Once operational, it is expected to deliver enough clean, affordable power to supply approximately one million Western Australian homes.
The project is set to be a major economic driver, with CEL – North and CEL – East combined expected to create around 800 local jobs during construction.
While CEL – North is already underway and slated for completion in late 2027, the new CEL – East stage is anticipated to be online by the end of 2029.
WA Premier Roger Cook said: “My government’s vision is to keep Western Australia’s economy the strongest in the nation.
“This requires a secure supply of clean, reliable, and affordable energy for households and businesses.
“Together, these steps will ensure our state is capable of supporting the population growth and industrial development needed to remain the strongest economy in the nation.”
To ensure these critical milestones are met, the government is using the State Development Act 2025 to streamline approvals and improve whole-of-government co-ordination for CEL – North, East, and the Kwinana link.
Furthermore, the budget allocates AU$7 million to Horizon Power to support renewable transitions in regional hubs, including the West Kimberley, Pilbara, and Coral Bay, ensuring no corner of the state is left behind in the shift to a cleaner future.
Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson noted that the expansion would allow WA to capitalise on its abundant wind and solar resources, providing industry with the cheaper energy needed to remain competitive.
“These projects are directly supporting the WA economy, providing local jobs and upskilling opportunities to our current and future workforce.”