The WA Goldfields town of Menzies will soon have one of the cleanest power supplies in the State, with a new energy system to deliver up to 80% renewable energy, the State Government has announced.
Under the plan, the Shire of Menzies town will be largely run on 409kW of solar generation and 2.8MWh of battery energy storage, supplying renewable energy to more than 100 residents in the community.
The new system is set to reduce carbon emissions by up to 500 tonnes of each year, the equivalent of taking 200 cars off the road and has been made possible thanks to a power purchase agreement with Horizon Power.
“I’m thrilled to see that Menzies will soon run on 80% renewable energy, one of the highest rates in the State,” said WA Energy and Decarbonisation Minister, Amber-Jade Sanderson.
“This is a story that we will see repeated around the State as we undergo the energy transition and move towards net zero.”
Pacific Energy will design, build, and operate the system. It has committed to upgrade the town’s ageing system with 3.6MW of new diesel generation capacity, improving reliability and resilience. In addition, the community of Laverton will also benefit from a new power supply.
“The region is already leading the way in carbon emissions reduction with several new mines using solar and wind energy with battery storage to run up to 100% of their power requirements on renewable sources,” said Goldfields-Esperance Minister, David Michael.
“Domestic energy users are joining the transition as we convert more towns in the Goldfields to predominantly renewable sources, supported by battery storage.”
Construction of both projects is expected to begin later this year, with completion targeted for mid-2027.
