Following the Federal Government’s release of its 2035 emissions reduction targets, Committee for Ballarat recently attended a National Energy Forum in Sydney. SA Premier Peter Malinauskas, NSW Premier Chris Minns, the Federal Minister for Industry and Innovation, the Hon. Tim Ayres, Opposition Treasurer Spokesperson Ted O’Brien, CEO of Santos, Executive Vice President for Shell Australia and the Chair of the Climate Change Authority, Matt Keane, were all part of an impressive lineup of speakers.
Despite their obvious points of difference, all were agreed that energy continues to be the defining Public Policy issue of our generation. All agree that market certainty is crucial to ensure investment and business confidence. All agreed that coal-fired generation is aging with no new investment in assets likely, and that gas will continue to play a crucial role in firming the network. All also agreed that we need a calm and methodical transition that delivers a reliable, affordable, and secure decarbonisation of our energy network and economy.
So, where does the Ballarat Energy Network fit within this ‘calm and methodical’, decarbonised energy transition?
Committee for Ballarat, along with its multiple stakeholders, are in the middle of an extensive application to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for funding to advance the BEN project. We are looking to capitalise on the feasibility work completed early this year, focused on Commercial and Industrial (C&I) businesses located in BWEZ, and prepare the project for implementation and operation.
BEN aligns with current state and federal government policy, the direction of the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), and with the sentiments expressed by industry for reliable and affordable decarbonisation.
The uniqueness of the BEN project is that it seeks to help mitigate one of the major challenges facing the transition, the lack of social licence in regional communities.
The two key objectives of the BEN Project are:
1. To optimise the capacity and capability of locally aggregated Distributed Energy Resources (DER), both currently existing and new assets, for a city the size of Ballarat. (An example of DER is the rooftop solar and storage assets that many individuals and businesses continue to invest in on their own properties.)
2. Build social licence in our region using the DER model to enhance Whole of Community participation and deliver sustained community wealth building through innovation in a consumer-focused commercial model that could lead market reform.
For those who have followed the Committee for Ballarat’s E-News in recent years, the BEN project will not be a new one. We have been on the path for 2.5 years and we now have the evidence base we need, the business support and the policy directions that will hopefully deliver the funding support needed to give BEN its ‘wings’.
BEN is a response to a rapidly changing energy sector and could help define public energy policy, specifically for regional communities. It is a systems-based, locally led solution that reimagines how regional cities can participate in, and benefit from, the energy transition.
We are hoping for a decision on funding before the end of the year, and we will be sure to let you know if we are successful.