The Energy Branch welcomes the work being done by the Federal Government and Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen to deliver on new community batteries that will deliver real cost-of-living relief to hundreds of households in Western Sydney. This initiative once again highlights how USU members continue to contribute to building a fairer, cleaner, and more reliable energy future.
The Cabramatta Community Battery Project will see the installation of 12 community batteries, both on the ground and mounted on poles, helping power 300 homes. Built and owned by Endeavour Energy, with funding from the Federal Government, the project is part of the national Community Batteries for Household Solar Program that is designed to ensure that all Australians can share in the benefits of renewable energy, whether they own solar panels or not.
Residents who sign up through Endeavour Energy’s retail partner could save up to $400 a year on their energy bills. The batteries absorb excess rooftop solar energy during the day and feed it back to the grid at night, improving network reliability and helping to avoid costly infrastructure upgrades.
For the USU and its members, this project, to use one example, is about more than just technology, it’s about delivering real outcomes for communities while supporting good, secure jobs in the electricity sector.
Such initiatives can assure members that your union has a firm presence in the transition space as we seek to secure the future of our electricity supply and well paid jobs within the industry. Your officials have developed, and continue to develop, very important political and industrial relationships not just domestically, but globally. And let’s not forget, it’s not just our energy members who stand to benefit from such relationships; our friends and colleagues who work in local government stand to benefit enormously given the critical role local government will have in this space.
Lastly, this announcement is further proof that union membership matters. Through collective representation and the strength of workers’ voices, USU members are driving change helping deliver clean, affordable energy solutions that make a difference for everyone.
