Cessnock City Council is one of six Hunter and Central Coast regional councils who have joined forces to secure a long-term electricity procurement agreement, backed by new renewable electricity generation projects, with Mojo Power.
The 10-year agreement, which commenced in January 2022, will supply approximately 100GWh of electricity per year. Renewable energy projects supplying the electricity include the NSW-government-approved Upper Hunter Energy Park - near Scone in the Upper Hunter Shire - which includes an 80MW wind and 10 MW solar farm with plans for future storage capacity. This part of the contract includes commitments to support a local community fund.
The agreement additionally sources electricity from the existing solar farm in Boggabilla and a new farm at Yoogali, which will commence operation in July 2022. The scheme will deliver a direct link between the electricity supplied by the projects and the electricity consumed by the six councils.
Cessnock City Mayor Jay Suvaal said the agreement will result in stable and lower electricity costs in comparison with recent years.
"This project is a good deal for Cessnock," Mayor Jay Suvaal said. "It increases our use of renewable energy sources and improves Council productivity.
"The agreement will provide stable pricing and a secure financial return over the lifetime of the 10-year contract.
"The contract will be the first step towards achieving Cessnock City Council's target of net zero emissions by 2050, with 85% of its corporate electricity being sourced from renewables when the Upper Hunter Energy Park goes online in 2024."
Other Councils involved in the scheme are Lake Macquarie City Council, Central Coast Council, Upper Hunter Shire Council, Maitland City Council, and Muswellbrook Shire Council.
This outcome was the result of a competitive open tender process run in September 2021 with the winning bid providing the best value for money outcome.
