Battery to drop power bills
Cairns residents are set to reap the rewards of a new federal government energy initiative to build a community battery and lower electricity bills, but the benefits are still a way off.
Ergon Energy will receive a $447,892 grant to install the battery in Cairns North, which will store energy generated by local rooftop solar systems and distribute it among about 70 households in the evening when electricity is more expensive.
Labor senator Nita Green said this was an early step in the government’s long-term plans to convert FNQ’s energy grid to one that capitalises on the increasing supply of renewables.
But the battery’s construction date has not yet been scribbled into the calendar and Ergon has until 2025 to switch it on.
Senator Green acknowledged the battery’s contribution to lowering bills could be some time away but insisted this was a necessary and prudent step that would ultimately reduce governments’ need to include energy price relief in future budgets, which would be a sure-fire way of pushing budgets into the red.
“This is all about reducing energy prices. We know renewable energy is the cheapest form of energy,” Ms Green said.
“In the budget our government delivered about $1.6bn of energy price relief … we’re working to ensure vulnerable Australians can reduce their power bills in a way that doesn’t increase inflation.
“While this battery might be small … I hope to see more delivered throughout Far North Queensland because I know this is something the community has been crying out for.”
The Cairns North battery will rely on customers that have already forked out for a rooftop solar system, but will socialise the benefits among surrounding households.
Senator Green said another purpose of the initiative was to create a less clunky transition from fossil fuels to renewables.
“We need a grid that can sustain the level of renewable energy coming through the market … (and the) transition that we’re going through,” she said.
Energy Queensland’s DC systems engineer Amy Ferrari said the battery would reduce Ergon’s operational expenses which would contribute to lower bills for customers.
“This will improve reliability … this will fix constraints in the network and more customers will be able to export the full amount of their (rooftop electricity generation) rather than being curtailed when we have too much feeding into the network,”