Some of you may have been following the Electrify 2515 journey from the start and others may be less familiar with our work so we wanted to give a quick snapshot of where we have been and what you can do right now.
How did we get here?
In 2022 Dr Saul Griffith and his team at Rewiring Australia wrote the blueprint for creating Australia’s electric future. They went looking for a community willing to become a lighthouse project to show how this could be technically and socially achieved.
Community members from 2515 joined together to see if their own community would be willing to put their hand up and were thrilled when the response was so positive (thanks, everyone!). Since showing this community willingness, our area has been selected by Rewiring Australia as the site to apply for potential funding from The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
The funding dance
ARENA is a government body that typically funds projects run by energy network providers and energy retailers. Their application procedures are very lengthy and the good news is that, despite being an atypical grant applicant as a non-profit research organisation, Rewiring Australia has successfully advanced through each stage of the application process. The challenge has been that with each stage ARENA has reduced the project scope (to cost them less money!).
Initially the project was designed for $20 million to fully fund 500 households to electrify appliances, cars and community assets. The target of 500 households was the minimum amount that would make the technological impact within a concentrated area valid (along the transmission lines connected with Wombarra substation).
We’re now applying for about $6 million, which would still be remarkable for our community if we can secure it, but there is less money to put into subsidies for households. If successful, the money would go towards some subsidies for 500 households (for instance, a possible $1000 off a reverse-cycle air conditioner), smart technology to control energy loads, research, hard to electrify homes and community assets.
We hope to submit the final application proposal (all 260 pages!) in June/July.
Rewiring Australia and the 2515 community were also instrumental in lobbying the previous NSW Government to put up money for community electrification pilots. With the change of government, that money is thankfully still on the table but the department is reviewing the scope of the project and has yet to release details.
Community Solar Rollout
Whether we receive funding or not, there is so much we can do as a community to reduce our emissions and save on energy bills through renewable-powered electrification. That is why we recently launched our Community Solar Rollout, vetting and partnering with two trusted local solar providers (who are generously offering a 10% discount for rollout participants!) to encourage more homes in our community to join the solar revolution and set us up for an electric future.
For more information on our Solar Rollout, including FAQs & videos, and to request a quote, visit www.electrify2515.org/solar
