Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, has used the statutory ministerial referral powers to request that the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) considers funding more community electrification demonstration projects across the country.
The Federal Government said the funding could help thousands of households, including renters, secure their homes from bill spikes with more solar, batteries, energy efficient appliances and shared community energy storage.
In October 2024, the Federal Government announced $5.4 million of ARENA funding for the Electrify 2515 pilot in Wollongong.
The Federal Government said it is the latest of 49 projects in which ARENA has invested more than $144 million over the past six years, to help homes reduce energy bills through electrification and other energy smart improvements.
The Federal Government also said communities are already benefitting from new technologies and savings that electrification unlocks, thanks to ARENA.
Electrify 2515 aims to deliver energy-efficient electric appliances and consumer energy resources in participating homes in the suburbs of Austinmer, Clifton, Coledale, Scarborough, Thirroul and Wombarra, along with a smart energy management device to optimise energy use.
ARENA is now seeking more opportunities to replicate the Electrify 2515 pilot across the ACT, Western Australia, Queensland, Victoria and Tasmania.
The Federal Government said it is important that suburb-wide or community electrification demonstration projects are trialled in every state and territory in Australia to feed vital information and data back to ARENA, energy and electricity network companies, and governments about how best to roll out household electrification around the country.
The Federal Government also said this is the first time Mr Bowen has used the statutory ministerial referral powers to ask the ARENA board to look at backing specific projects.
The referral arose following work with senators David Pocock, David Van, Jacqui Lambie and Lidia Thorpe.
Decisions on funding for each demonstration project are made independently by ARENA based upon merit, consistent with their establishment legislation. At the end of 2024, the Federal Government amended the legislation to formally make supporting electrification a statutory function for ARENA and reinstated ARENA’s statutory funding, which had lapsed.
Mr Bowen said communities across Australia are seeing the benefits of the clean energy transformation, and the Federal Government is delivering the leadership and support they need to grasp those benefits.
“ARENA pilot projects supporting home electrification will help create valuable insights into how households can transition to renewables and smart energy systems to cut energy costs and reduce emissions.
“I’d like to thank senators David Pocock, David Van, Jacqui Lambie and Lidia Thorpe for their ongoing advocacy for cheaper, cleaner to run homes and their commitment to renewable energy.”
