A Minns Labor Government will deliver more stability and reliability in our state’s energy supply by building community batteries.

Labor’s plan – building community batteries

Community batteries allow homes within a neighbourhood to store excess power generated during the day from their rooftop solar panels.

The stored power can be used later in the evening when demand on the electricity network is traditionally higher.

It also means that families can use more of the power that they actually generate, particularly at night, lowering their overall energy bills.

It will also take pressure off the grid during periods of peak demand.

New South Wales has the lowest rate of households with solar energy systems out of any state – 26.6 per cent.

Of that, 1 in 60 households have a battery to store the energy they produce from their panels.

The community batteries will be delivered through the NSW Energy Security Corporation.

On Sunday, NSW Labor announced it will create a new state-owned body that will accelerate investment in renewable energy assets to deliver cleaner, more reliable energy, and help keep the lights on.

The NSW Energy Security Corporation will work with the Commonwealth and industry to ensure that NSW gets an outsized share of community batteries to deliver lasting cost-of-living relief to NSW families.

Quotes attributable to Chris Minns, NSW Labor Leader:

“The families and households of New South Wales deserve to have confidence in the reliability and stability of our energy supply.

“Labor’s community batteries commitment is an important first step towards this.

“It will also place downward pressure on household energy bills, that the people of New South Wales were promised, but not delivered.”

Quotes attributable to Jihad Dib, NSW Shadow Minister for Energy & Climate Change:

“Labor backs families and communities to take the best advantage of their rooftop solar during the day by dispatching it at night.

“Only 1 in 60 households with solar have batteries, mainly due to prohibitive costs. This initiative solves that problem for families.”