Tahmoor solar farm idea to light up street lights and cut energy costs in Wollondilly shire
A SYDNEY Mayor has a bright idea to establish a solar farm in Tahmoor to cut energy costs and light a large number of street lights in the shire.
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WOLLONDILLY Deputy Mayor Robert Khan has a bright idea to establish a solar farm in Tahmoor to cut energy costs and light a large number of street lights in the shire.
Cr Khan’s Wollondilly Joint Venture Solar Farm Proposal would be a partnership between the council and Tahmoor Coal, where he would like the solar farm to be located.
He said his proposal, providing the criteria was suitable and it won the support of the council and Tahmoor Coal, would be to approach colliery boss Sanjeev Gupta and his company GFG Alliance with the view of forming a joint venture.
“The venture would consist of a solar farm located on the land belonging to Tahmoor Coal and generating enough power to run both the colliery and a large percentage of street lights in Wollondilly,’’ he said.
Cr Khan said the current cost to light each street light in the Wollondilly shire was $84 per year and the switch to solar would cut this cost by half.
He said his idea had merit because Mr Gupta has previously stated he wanted to turn his company into one of the nation’s biggest energy providers and he was keen to establish solar across 200 industrial sites across Australia.
Western Sydney University senior lecturer in the school of computing, engineering and mathematics Dr Leigh Sheppard said he could not see any negatives in the proposed joint venture.
“I support any opportunity to get the coal industry involved in renewable energy,’’ Dr Sheppeard said.
Cr Khan flagged the council could possibly apply for funding from the Western Sydney City Deal to pay for its portion of the project.
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