Powercor will aim to safeguard customers from major power outages using community-scale microgrids.
The company have identified Ballan, Trentham and Lancefield as potential locations for the microgrid, which is a standalone power network backed by a large-scale battery.
It’s one of several measures the company are proposing to make the local electricity network more resilient, including increasing the height of several powerlines in flood risk areas and fire-proof-wrap and replacing more wooden poles in high fire danger areas.
The measures come after three years of community engagement in central and western Victoria.
In a statement, Powercor’s General Manager of Regulation, Renate Vogt, said as more extreme weather is increasing the risk of longer outages, their customers are becoming more dependent on electricity than ever before.
The company will continue to seek feedback on the proposals over the coming months.
