Queensland’s Logan City Council has entered into agreement with Origin Energy to advance the city’s renewable energy capabilities and support regional grid stability.
The first-of-its-kind partnership in Australia will span an initial three years, with a possible three-year extension, focusing on implementing large-scale solar and battery storage solutions at energy-intensive facilities across the city.
Logan City Mayor Jon Raven said the innovative agreement made sense as Logan’s population continues to boom.
“As the fastest-growing city in Queensland and also one of the youngest and most diverse, people are moving here and putting demand on the energy grid,” he said.
“There is potential for us to take large Council sites such as our Loganholme Wastewater Treatment Plant off the grid at peak times.
“For example, when people are cooking dinner at 6pm and placing high demand on the grid, we can run the treatment plant on alternative energy sources for a few hours and then reconnect when demand drops.”
The agreement includes participation in Origin’s Demand Response program and integration with their Virtual Power Plant system, Loop.
This will allow the Council to shift energy consumption away from high-demand periods, contributing to grid stability.
Liam McWhirter, Origin Zero General Manager Enterprise and Strategic Partners, said the company is excited to support Logan City Council’s decarbonisation efforts while helping them reduce energy costs.
The partnership follows Logan City Council’s impressive environmental track record, including their 2022 carbon neutral certification and a 35 per cent reduction in emissions—equivalent to 85,000 tonnes of carbon emissions avoided.
This achievement earned recognition from the Australian Climate Council’s Cities Power Partnership in 2023.
The council’s future projects under consideration include next-generation battery storage technology, community batteries, and electric vehicle infrastructure.
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