NEW ELECTRICITY CONTRACTS PROMISE BRIGHTER, CLEANER FUTURE FOR REGION
Dubbo Regional Council’s two new electricity contracts for its operations include an increasing component of renewable electricity and are longer term agreements assisting to lock in price certainty and lessen the impact of rising electricity costs.
Council’s new electricity contract for its smaller sites began in January 2023 and includes a 10-year agreement with Shell Energy Australia for the procurement of electricity, with 100 per cent to be from renewable sources and an expected saving of $100,000 per year. Council’s small sites contribute to around 20 per cent of Council’s total electricity use.
The electricity contract for DRC’s larger sites and street lighting commenced on 1 July and includes a 7.5-year Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) with renewable energy company Iberdrola. The agreement includes the purchase of an increasing amount of renewable electricity over the life of the contract, from 25 per cent renewable electricity in 2023, to 50 per cent from 2025, 75 per cent from 2027 and 100 per cent from 2029. The renewable electricity under the PPA will be linked to, and support, local wind farm Bodangora located near Wellington. Council’s large sites and street lighting contribute to around 80 per cent of Council’s total electricity use.
“The new electricity contracts will assist the organisation to lock in electricity price certainty for the longer term to make forward planning and budgeting easier and lessen the impact of rising electricity costs,” Dubbo Regional Council Mayor Mathew Dickerson said.
“In addition, the new electricity contracts will ensure Council meets its adopted target outlined in Council’s Energy Strategy and Implementation Plan to have 50 per cent of its electricity sourced from renewable sources by 2025.”
In 2020 Councillors adopted an Energy Strategy and Implementation Plan with a target to obtain 50 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
Council has since pursued a combination of solutions to increase the percentage of renewable electricity it utilises for its operations. In addition to purchasing renewable electricity from the grid Council has installed over 370 kW of solar on its buildings, with the largest Photovoltaic solar system being an 80kW system on Council’s Dubbo Civic Administration Building.
Sourcing electricity from renewable generators communicates Council’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its operations and moving towards a net zero future, a key aspiration of the Towards 2040 Community Strategic Plan.
Last Edited: 23 Oct 2023