Revamping Regional Power: WA’s Bold New Program for Reliable Energy

Western Power is launching a collaborative initiative with local communities to enhance power reliability in regional Western Australia. The $88 million Regional Connect Program will focus on areas with long feeder lines, which are more prone to frequent power outages.

According to Gair Landsborough, Executive Manager of Asset Management at Western Power, the goal is to address the inconvenience caused by these outages. By partnering with regional communities, Western Power aims to better understand the impact of outages and develop tailored solutions that incorporate social, economic, and environmental factors.

The program includes a series of trials in regions that experience reliability issues. The first trial began in Lancelin earlier this year, with a community drop-in session inviting residents to learn about the program and share their feedback. Community input is key to the initiative, with drop-in sessions fostering innovative solutions.

The next trial will take place in Northampton, with a community session scheduled for September 2024. Both Lancelin and Northampton were selected for their recurring network faults and challenging environmental conditions. The trials in these areas will serve as a blueprint for other regional locations facing similar issues.

More trials will be conducted in the coming months, with plans to engage communities in the Shire of Irwin. Western Power’s goal is to reduce outage durations and improve restoration times in regions that have long dealt with reliability challenges.

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