THE new year will also mark a new era for Bathurst Regional Council's power use.
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As of January 1, 2023, council says all its facilities will be powered by 100 per cent renewable electricity.
It follows council's announcement in August that it had secured a contract for renewable electricity to power large sites and street lighting by combining with 10 other councils from the central NSW region and five councils from the Riverina in "a joint procurement process".
That contract starts on January 1 and the electricity will come from the Bodangora Wind Farm (whose first turbine was assembled in early 2019) north of Wellington as well as other renewable energy assets owned by the electricity company Iberdrola.
As well, according to council, in October this year it contracted to source 100 per cent renewable energy for what it calls its "small market electricity sites" through Shell Energy.
Together, council says the contracts will achieve zero emissions electricity for all of its facilities and streetlights, reducing emissions from council operations by around 10,000 tonnes annually.
Mayor Robert Taylor said it will reduce council's carbon footprint by providing clean energy supply for council operations.
"The deal also supports investments in renewables, reduces reliance on fossil fuels and protects from the price volatility in the electricity market," he said.
"The contracts mean council will exceed the renewable energy targets adopted in June 2020 as part of the Renewable Energy Action Plan, and will also go a long way to helping council achieve the target of 25 per cent reduction in operational greenhouse gas emissions by 2025."
IN OTHER NEWS AROUND BATHURST:
At the time of the August announcement, Iberdrola Australia CEO Ross Rolfe said the company was delighted to be partnering with councils in central NSW.
"We have worked with the councils and communities in these regions for many years and we are very pleased to be deepening our partnership with them," he said.
Bathurst Regional Council installed solar panels on the Bathurst Regional Art Gallery and Bathurst Library roof in 2017 after installing solar panels at the Water Filtration Plant in 2014 and the Waste Water Treatment Plant in 2016.
The city also stands out in the region for the six-bay Tesla Supercharger station that opened near the Bathurst Visitor Information Centre in 2019.
