A push to get more money for renewable energy projects in the Border region will be taken directly to the federal Environment and Energy Minister on Monday.
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That comes with events at Yackandandah and Benalla to be attended by Coalition MP Josh Frydenberg.
Indi MP Cathy McGowan said on Sunday she hoped local projects would result from the recent announcement of $12.5 million in funding for the sector.
The federal government’s funding initiative aims to support the integration of distributed energy resources in homes and businesses to contribute to grid reliability.
The money comes through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
Mr Frydenberg and Ms McGowan will meet stakeholders in renewable energy from across Indi at the Yackandandah and Benalla meetings.
This could, she said, bring about community partnerships with councils.
Ms McGowan said the agency’s first targeted funding initiative was focused on supporting increasing shares of distributed energy resources such as solar PV and batteries.
“I look forward to hosting Minister Frydenberg on Monday to see what is already under way in Indi and discuss opportunities for the ARENA funding,” she said.
“It is estimated there are more than 1.7 million Australian householders – around 20 per cent – with solar on their roof. There is an expectation that more households and businesses will invest in batteries, and energy management systems including smart thermostats.”
Ms McGowan said she was keen to see applications from Indi among those projects and studies offered for funding under the new program.
“There is a community energy revolution now under way across Indi and this funding will provide the impetus for some of these projects to take the next step,” she said.
“ARENA chief executive Ivor Frischknecht says consumer-owned energy resources are going to play a big role in the future energy mix.”
Mr Frischknecht said the $12.5 million distributed energy resources funding initiative would support pilot projects and studies to integrate these resources into the electricity system.
He said that by 2022, whole regions of the electricity system should be operated securely and reliably with 100 per cent of demand met from a behind-the-meter assets combination including rooftop solar, batteries and demand management within homes and businesses.
Successful projects are expected to be announced in the second of the year.