Labor is helping to lower power bills and keep the lights on with a new neighbourhood battery in Bendigo.

Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards and Minister D’Ambrosio today visited the Salvation Army Neighbourhood Battery in Bendigo West to hear first-hand how the battery is helping to cut power bills.

“Our 100 Neighbourhood Batteries Program is helping community organisations capture and store clean, free renewable energy for the benefit of all Victorians.” Said Ms Edwards

Thanks to the Allan Labor Government’s 100 Neighbourhood Batteries Program, a 45 kilowatt (kW)/56 kilowatt-hour (kWh) neighbourhood battery has been installed at the site.

The Salvation Army Bendigo site, includes church services, community services, community shed where they run a woodwork program and art space.

The battery is expected to generate annual savings of $5,415 at the Bendigo West site, cutting energy costs and free up funding for vital frontline services that support the most vulnerable people in the community.

The Salvation Army is installing 22 neighbourhood batteries across Victoria including Salvos Stores, Foodbanks, Domestic Violence Refuges, Emergency Crisis Accommodation, Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centres and community centres.

There are now neighbourhood batteries in 60 local government areas, aimed at cutting power bills and boosting energy resilience.

The program is helping achieve Victoria’s target of at least 2.6 gigawatts (GW) of energy storage capacity by 2030 and 6.3 GW by 2035 – enough energy to power around half of Victoria’s homes at peak energy use.

This is part of Labor’s record investment in renewables which has helped Victoria consistently achieve the lowest wholesale power prices and lowest average households power bills in the country.

While Liberal leader Jess Wilson was busy planning her attendance with One Nation’s Barnaby Joyce at a misinformation convention for their anti-renewables agenda, Labor was building Victoria’s energy future.

Jess Wilson’s Liberals recently announced they’ll make it harder to do business in Victoria with new planning barriers to renewable energy projects. Further proof you can’t trust them. They’ll send power prices skyrocketing and leave Victorians in the dark.