Following on from its first Renewable Energy Information Session on 10th September, the Shire held its second session at the Sport and Recreation Centre on 4th November 2024.
The panel included Peter Kerr from ATA Consulting; Jai Thomas CEO of PoweringWA; Rob Cossart, Wheatbelt Development Commission; and Patrick Ragan from Green Wind Renewables.
Jai
Thomas became the first Government officer to speak publicly in respect of the WA Government’s planning, development and strategies to achieve its renewable energy targets in the context of reliability, security, affordability and environmental sustainability. He described how State and Federal Government legislation and policy are the key drivers of the economy’s decarbonisation and renewable energy targets.
Mr Thomas also explained how the electricity grid functioned and how markets responded to the demand for electricity at any moment in time. The scale of change ahead is bigger than any single agency. PoweringWA is a new entity set up to transform, decarbonise and future-proof the energy system, starting with WA’s main grid – the South-West Interconnected System, and may evolve to cover all of WA.
WA Government’s investment in Clean Energy Link North will unlock up to 1GW of wind generation from late 2027, and $324m investment in transmission planning for future expansion.
Strengthening the existing network will ensure it can connect and transport a greater supply of renewable energy. Upgrading the current mix of 132 kV and 330 kV lines in parts of the northern network will allow more renewable projects to connect in the Wheatbelt and Mid-West. A new 330 kV and 132 kV transmission line and terminal builds within the existing network footprint will facilitate additional expansion and a 2027 target date for completion.
PoweringWA is responsible for the whole-of-government coordination of all Government agencies to address key challenges associated with energy transition.