All these people are working for cleaner and more affordable energy! And this week I had the pleasure of meeting and learning from them about what Esperance is doing to get off fossil fuels are create a cleaner and more affordable energy future.
Esperance was the first place in Australia to build a wind farm. That was back in 1987, and it hasn’t looked back since. The town is now at 50% renewables and when its sunny and windy - which it often is there - the renewables ratio can be much higher. This Friday, WA’s regional energy provider Horizon Power Priscilla took me on a tour of Esperance’s Renewable Hub. It started with a coffee at Maccas and then meeting and briefing the crew at 630am. These fellas are all electricians and engineers. They’re passionate - like I am - about electricity. And also about a safe future for our kids and country. So they’re proud to be helping Esperance transition to a renewable energy future.
Priscilla took me out to see a new renewable energy farm. Finished in 2022, it includes two wind turbines which generate a total of 9MW while the cows graze under them, and an accompanying solar farm with another 4MW of capacity. Sheep graze under it to keep the grass down, which is win-win for farmers, the power company and power users. The renewables farm serves over 15,000 people on the Esperance regional microgrid.
As part of its transition, Esperance also got rid of gas applicances. People used to be heavily reliant on expensive gas which had to be trucked in for heating and cooking. So, the WA government helped people by funding replacement of gas appliances like hot water systems, stoves and heating. Helen and Robert who I met at Woolies said their hot water bills were now less than $300 a year. And the government is saving money by not having to truck in all the gas.
Renewables naysayers and climate change denialists like to say promoting renewables is going woke! I’d say that by saving money and the planet, helping people not go broke.
Morning briefing with the Horizon Power Renewables Hub Crew.
The renewables farm contributes around 12MW of clean energy to Esperance’s micro-grid.
Helen and Robert are saving cash thanks to their new heat pump from Horizon Power.
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