Simon Birmingham (SA, Liberal Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Hansard source

We know that, for example, initiatives like microgrids can help reduce electricity bills in regional and remote communities, helping those communities to adapt and achieve innovative technologies, or distributed energy sources like solar and batteries to reduce their reliance on costly diesel generation. Round 2 of our regional and remote communities reliability fund opens on 16 December and will help fund feasibility studies that will look at establishing a microgrid or upgrading existing off-grid technologies which would better meet the electricity supply needs of regional and remote communities.

Under round 1 of the program, $5½ million was delivered for the Territory across five grants in 25 different locations. We have also invested more than $2 million through ARENA in the Alice Springs future grid project, which aims to overcome barriers to generating renewable energy and support affordable renewable energy for 30,000 residents in Alice Springs and communities up to 130 kilometres away. (Time expired)