Onslow’s power needs are growing rapidly with the arrival of new customers. While Horizon Power commissioned the current power station and 1 MW solar farm in 2019, forecasted demand is expected to exceed the network’s capacity within the next few years. This project will help meet future demand while increasing renewable energy use and reducing carbon emissions.

Onslow’s electricity is currently generated using gas, diesel, battery storage, and customer-installed rooftop solar, producing approximately 20,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually. Increasing renewable generation will significantly reduce these emissions and support WA’s decarbonisation targets.

Onslow currently has a 1 MW utility-scale solar farm located adjacent to the Onslow Power Station, along with two Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). In addition, many residents and businesses have installed rooftop solar systems, supported by Horizon Power’s Distributed Energy Resource Management System (DERMS), which allows for safe and efficient integration of customer-owned solar.

Communities are at the heart of our Future Energy System planning framework, and all members of the community are invited to provide their feedback.

The procurement process will include criteria for local employment and contracting opportunities, ensuring regional businesses and Traditional Owners have an opportunity to participate in the project’s delivery.

A decarbonisation solution looks at cleaner energy sources such as solar and wind generation, coupled with battery energy storage solutions and consideration must be made to ensure the products are technologically and commercially readily available. In the initial stages of the project, we’ll assess which of these generation types are most viable for the Onslow community’s energy requirements.  

We are assessing a large-scale solar farm with battery energy storage (ranging from 8 MW to 27 MW of solar and 12 MWh to 84 MWh of battery capacity). This could achieve between 42% and 80% renewable penetration for Onslow’s future energy system.  

Community engagement helps us understand each town’s appetite for renewable energy, and feedback will inform the final solution. It’s important to note that while the new system may reduce reliance on fossil fuels, thermal generation may still play a role in meeting demand and supporting reliability during periods of low renewable generation or other challenging conditions.

Future Energy System planning framework is a public process in which Horizon Power works together with our communities and stakeholders to identify and explore energy options to shape their future energy system.

We engage and inform local communities, Local Government Authorities, Traditional Owner groups and key stakeholders to determine long-term energy solutions that best meet their needs. This includes seeking support on acquiring land on which to build the generation facility. We work to balance the demand, reliability and future energy needs of our towns with the voices and opinions of those who help make it a community.

Planning for a future energy system is complex and takes time and community engagement to gather opinions and thoughts. If the recommended system is approved for delivery, construction would likely commence in 2028.  

The price of electricity is set by the State Government. Under the WA Uniform Tariff Policy, all small-use electricity customers (households and small businesses) pay the same rate, no matter where they live. This government-funded policy heavily subsidises the higher costs of supplying power to remote and regional areas, ensuring customers are not disadvantaged by their location.

While introducing more renewable energy in Onslow may reduce the cost of supplying electricity to the town, it will not directly change your power bills, which remain set under the Uniform Tariff Policy.

We have considered hydrogen on several recent projects and will continue to explore hydrogen as a viable future energy solution. At the current time:  

• It is too costly to produce hydrogen onsite for use
• There are no reliable suppliers to deliver hydrogen as a fuel source.  

Flora and fauna surveys conducted in May 2024 found no significant ecological constraints.

An Environmental Management Plan will guide construction and operation, overseen by a site-based Environmental Officer and subject to government environmental approvals.