The State Electricity Commission (SEC) will build a solar farm and battery in Horsham – set to generate 242,000MWh of energy per year – as its second investment since it was enshrined in the Victorian Constitution.
Victorian Premier, Jacinta Allan, and Victorian Minister for the SEC, Lily D’Ambrosio, announced that the SEC will invest $370 million to build the SEC Renewable Energy Park.
The Victorian Government said it will be the first 100 per cent government-owned energy generator in Victoria since the state’s energy system was privatised.
The SEC Renewable Energy Park will be capable of generating enough renewable energy to power 51,000 homes per year, which is five times the number of households in Horsham.
The SEC is partnering with OX2 to build the park, which will consist of a 119MW solar farm and 100MW two-hour battery.
The Victorian Government said around 246 jobs will be created during construction, including 20 apprentices, trainees, and cadets.
The battery will soak up cheap solar while the sun is shining and deploy it later in the day to push down electricity prices. The battery storage will also allow more renewable generation to come online by storing power until it’s ready to be fed into the grid during high demand.
The local community is expected to benefit from the profits from the projects. The SEC will set up a community benefits fund and work with the community to invest $42,000 a year back into the local area during the project’s construction, and a further $70,000 every year once the project is operational.
The SEC Renewable Energy Park is expected to come online in 2027 and will be used to provide cheap, 100 per cent renewable electricity to Victorian Government schools, hospitals and offices.
This project marks the second investment by the SEC from the initial $1 billion invested by the Victorian Government to accelerate Victoria’s renewable energy build and deliver 4.5GW of new renewable energy and storage projects – enough to power more than 1.5 million homes.
Construction on the SEC’s first investment – the 600MW Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub – is now at the halfway point. It has employed more than 650 people to date and is on track to be connected to the grid in 2025, storing enough electricity to power up to 200,000 homes during peak periods.
The Victorian Government said once operational, all profits made by the SEC will be reinvested back into renewable energy projects – growing the state’s battery storage, wind and solar farms – and putting power back in the hands of Victorians.
Ms Allan said, “We’re building our future with the SEC – creating jobs, reducing bills and delivering reliable renewable energy across the state.
“Bringing back the SEC is all about giving power and profit back to the people.”
Ms D’Ambrosio said the Victorian Government is investing in renewable energy projects for people, not profit.
Member for Western Victoria, Jacinta Ermacora, said “The SEC has kick started construction on this project and made it bigger and better – delivering more local jobs for Horsham and additional funds for the community to invest in the things that matter most to them.”
