Premier Jacinta Allan and minister for the State Electricity Commission Lily D’Ambrosio have announced the SEC will invest $370 million to build the SEC Renewable Energy Park – a massive solar farm and battery in Horsham.
It will be the first 100 per cent government-owned energy generator in Victoria since the Liberal Party privatised the state’s energy system.
“We’re building our future with the SEC – creating jobs, reducing bills and delivering reliable renewable energy across the state,” said Allen.
“Bringing back the State Electricity Commission is all about giving power and profit back to the people.”
The Park will be capable of generating around 242,000 megawatt hours of renewable energy a year – enough to power 51,000 homes.
The SEC is partnering with developer OX2 to build the Park, which will consist of a 119-megawatt solar farm and 100-megawatt two-hour battery. Around 246 jobs will be created during construction, including 20 apprentices, trainees, and cadets.
The battery storage will also allow more renewable generation to come online by storing power until it’s ready to be fed into the grid during high demand.
The SEC will set up a community benefits fund and will work with the community to invest $42,000 a year back into the local area during the project’s construction, and a further $70,000 every year once the project is operational.
The SEC Renewable Energy Park will come online in 2027 and will be used to provide cheap, 100 per cent renewable electricity to Victorian Government schools, hospitals and offices.
This project marks the second investment by the SEC, from the initial $1 billion invested by the Victorian Government to accelerate Victoria’s renewable energy build and deliver 4.5 gigawatts of new renewable energy and storage projects – enough to power more than 1.5 million homes.
Construction on the SEC’s first investment – the 600-megawatt Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub – is now at the halfway point.
It has employed over 650 people to date and is on track to be connected to the grid in 2025, storing enough electricity to power up to 200,000 homes during peak periods.
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