A new wind farm in Victoria that will provide electricity to the ACT is now in operation, Energy Minister Shane Rattenbury has announced.
The Berrybank wind farm, located in Victoria's western plains, is the latest in 13 large scale renewable energy generators across Australia to provide zero emissions energy to the territory.
Mr Rattenbury said the wind farm would generate 390 GWh of energy a year, which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of 71,000 households.
The ACT government awarded a contract to Global Power Generation in 2020 to build the second stage of the wind farm to supply the territory with renewable electricity.
It was awarded the contract as part of a reverse auction conducted by the territory government.
"As we electrify Canberra and phase out fossil gas, and as Canberra's population grows, we will need additional electricity supply," Mr Rattenbury said.
"The Berrybank wind farm will booster our renewable electricity supply and help power an all-electric Canberra."
Average residential electricity bills in the ACT will rise by $75 a year from July, it was revealed last week, after the independent pricing regulator signed off on a maximum 4.15 per cent increase to standing offers.
The price rises are among the smallest increases in the national electricity market.
"The price stability that the ACT is now seeing is the result of the good decisions we made over a decade ago to implement a 100 per cent renewable electricity target, further proving that climate action is both achievable and affordable," Mr Rattenbury said.
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.
