The Southcoast Health & Sustainability Alliance has thrown its support behind last week's announcement that a Labor government would install a community battery in the Batemans Bay suburb of Maloneys Beach.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, and Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips met with members of the Maloneys Beach Resident's Association on Thursday, March 10 to commit to building 400 community batteries across the country.
A community battery would draw in power gathered by solar panels on residential rooftops during the day. That power would then be available for use during peak times in the evenings.
SHASA chair Kathryn Maxwell said the group was supportive of any announcement for a community battery, and said she would work to get more in the Eurobodalla Shire.
"Maloneys Beach has had a number of blackouts in recent times, so it's great the community could make this happen," she said.
"Labor is talking about funding 400 batteries, so we'd certainly be lobbying and advocating for more in the Shire.
"We're still doing feasibility studies into microgrids around the Shire, but the most expensive part is always the battery. If we could get more batteries around the Shire, that would go a long way towards more microgrids."
READ ALSO
Ms Maxwell said more people were turning to rooftop solar, and the shift to renewable energy required more storage.
"This is a great solution for both energy emergencies and day-to-day use," she said.
"In the transition to renewables, we need the storage - we don't have hydro power here, but we do have this capability to put batteries on the grid, and it would serve many positive benefits.
"These batteries are local, so you have the capability to run them when the power goes down, and all that excess energy can be used in that peak time when people are getting home.
"Initiatives like this one make the big steps easier."