Labor’s plans for Cairns North community battery to cut energy costs

A new community battery that will allow solar-equipped households to charge during the day and draw power during the evening is on the cards for some Far North households.

A NEW community battery that will allow solar-equipped households to charge during the day and draw power during the evening is on the cards for Cairns North residents.

Labor’s Shadow Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen MP, will today announce the initiative with Labor’s Leichhardt candidate Elida Faith.

Households across Cairns have embraced renewable energy with solar uptake higher than the national average.

More than a third of households across the city have solar, including more than 7400 households in Cairns North and surrounding suburbs

But only 128 batteries are registered in and around Cairns North.

The high price of household batteries means communities are still struggling to realise the full potential of rooftop solar, and it’s putting more pressure on our electricity grid.

The ALP has announced it will build a new community battery in North Cairns, storing solar electricity.

The commitment will allow local households to feed solar power into the shared battery during the day and draw from it at night – cutting electricity bills and emissions, and reducing pressure on the grid.

Local households who might be unable to install solar, like renters and people living in apartments, will also be able to draw from excess energy stored in the battery.

Labor’s Power to the People community battery plan will invest $200m to install 400 community batteries across the country.

The project is part of Labor’s Powering Australia Plan to cut power bills, reduce emissions and create jobs by boosting renewable energy.

Labor’s Powering Australia Plan has been backed Australian business and industry and Labor said the plan will cut power bills for families and businesses by $275 a year by 2025 compared to today.

Originally published as Labor’s plans for Cairns North community battery to cut energy costs