Bayswater Council voted to enter into a contract with Synergy to transition its electricity supply to renewable sources, paving the way for it to become the first local government in WA to be fully powered by WA sourced renewable energy.
Mayor Filomena Piffaretti said the City had been moving away from fossils fuels and towards renewable energy in its operations since Council voted to introduce targets two years ago.
“Our current electricity contract has expired, so we are in a perfect position to switch to 100% renewable energy and still save money.
“The contract provisions offered by Synergy will enable the City to fast track the transition of its contestable electricity supply for City of Bayswater infrastructure to renewable sources, resulting in approximately $400,000 in savings over the duration of the three-year contract. This will eliminate approximately 5,070 tonnes of CO2e annually, which is 53% of the City’s emissions, or the equivalent of removing 1,100 vehicles from the road.
“Under the contract, the City’s electricity will be supplied from WA sourced renewable energy farms such as the Albany Wind Farm, Collgar Wind Farm and Emu Downs Wind Farm.
“In August 2021, Council endorsed its Emissions Reduction and Renewable Energy (ERRE) Plan that outlined the actions it will take to mitigate the effects of climate change at a local level. The City’s switch to renewable energy is part of this plan.
The ERRE Plan identified a number of feasible and cost effective measures that will assist the City in achieving its target of reaching 100% renewable electricity for its operations, excluding Western Power owned street lighting, by 2025.
“A Revolving Energy Fund will be created to ensure all cost savings achieved from ERRE initiatives will fund the ongoing delivery of the ERRE Plan to reduce the cost to ratepayers.
The new contract was made possible by the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA), who undertook a tender process to select an energy provider that could provide renewable energy to the WA local government sector, this is the first time such a process has been undertaken.
“The contract is based on local government wide standardised terms negotiated by (WALGA) and will allow us to reach our target of 100% renewable electricity for City operations, excluding Western Power street lighting, by 2022 –three years earlier than planned. The new contract will take effect from 1 April 2022, with the potential for the City to transition to renewable energy from as early as 1 December 2021.
Mayor Filomena Piffaretti said the City’s switch to renewable energy is part of its ongoing commitment to protecting the environment.
“The City is leading the local government sector in its commitment to mitigating the effects of climate change at a local level.