GWMWater is a step closer to trialling a community energy initiative in Donald thanks to $400,000 in funding from the State Government.

Funding from the 100 Neighbourhood Batteries Program will support the water business to progress a Donald Community Power Plant Project.

The pilot initiative aims to reduce electricity bills and improve local grid stability by installing a grid-connected battery in Donald. If the initiative is successful, this project may be expanded to other towns within the GWMWater service area.

The proposed battery would be installed at the redundant GWMWater water storage site on Racecourse Road in Donald. There are plans to expand battery capacity and include additional solar generation at the site, if additional external funding can be secured. GWMWater has been working with Donald 2000 Inc. and Powercor Australia to develop project concepts.

In January 2024, GWM- Water was awarded $85,000 from the Water Minister’s Climate Challenge to explore the feasibility of a community energy project for Donald. Building on this initiative, GWMWater submitted the application for $400,000 in additional funding to commence implementation of the project.

Facilitating community energy initiatives is an integral component of GWMWater’s Clean Energy Strategy. This strategy outlines GWM-Water’s commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2035, which includes sourcing 100% of electricity from renewable sources by 2025, while ensuring that energy investments do not result in increased water bills for customers.