The Western Australian Government has released the two-year progress report on its Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Roadmap, outlining the success and implementations of the five-year plan.
According to the report, DER such as rooftop solar systems, batteries and electric vehicles have been taken up by Western Australian households and businesses at extraordinary rates.
One in three Western Australian households have rooftop solar, which is expected to rise to 50 per cent by 2030. The rapid uptake has created challenges and opportunities for the way our power system produces, manages and consumes electricity.
Since the roadmap’s release, the annual installation rate for rooftop solar has hit record highs, with about one megawatt added each day by Western Australian households, schools and small businesses in 2021.
The most significant changes and additions include introducing Emergency Solar Management rules and the release of the State Government’s Electric Vehicle Action Plan.
Additionally, Federal and State Government funding was secured for the state’s flagship community virtual power plant, Project Symphony, a tariff pilot was introduced to encourage households to use their energy during the middle of the day and 13 community batteries were installed.
Western Australia’s Energy Minister, Bill Johnston, said the Distributed Energy Resources Roadmap is a key element of the State Government’s Energy Transformation Strategy and is “ensuring we can embrace the uptake of renewable energy while maintaining a stable power system”.
“Two years on and the roadmap is on track, responding to the evolving energy landscape to ensure customers can continue to invest in and enjoy the benefits of new technologies,” Mr Johnston said.
“The Energy Transformation Strategy is continuing to help progress our sState towards a greener, cleaner energy future with more renewable energy at its heart.”
The roadmap outlines the actions Western Australia must take over the next five years to meet these challenges and ensure the state’s energy future is clean, green and affordable for customers.
Energy Policy Western Australia, Western Power, Horizon Power, Synergy and the Australian Energy Market Operator are working together to implement the roadmap. For more information, click here.
