The State Government has ordered a wide-ranging review into the security of Western Australia’s gas supplies, in the wake of two major interruptions to the State’s gas supply this year. Premier Alan Carpenter and Energy Minister Fran Logan visited Varanus Island today to inspect repair work to the gas facilities that were damaged in the June 3 explosion. Mr Carpenter said it was time for the State to consider what was needed to be done to ensure any future supply interruptions had the smallest possible impact on the State.

Energy Minister Francis Logan has launched a series of workshops aimed at improving the relationship between Western Power and rural landowners. The first ‘Working Together’ workshop will take place in Mt Barker today, with another 14 workshops being held in various country towns between Albany and Geraldton throughout August.

The State Government is spending millions of dollars to improve power reliability throughout the South-West and south coast regions. Energy Minister Francis Logan, who is in Albany and Mt Barker this week, said householders in these regions were directly benefitting from the Rural Power Improvement Program (RPIP), a jointly funded Western Power and State Government initiative.

One of the biggest underground power projects undertaken in the metropolitan area has been completed on time and on budget. Energy Minister Francis Logan said 1,348 households and businesses in Fremantle had been connected to underground power as part of the $10.595million project. “The completion of the Fremantle project provides major benefits to consumers in the Fremantle area, as they are provided with a safer and more reliable standard of electricity supply,” Mr Logan said.

New figures released today show that a multi-million dollar upgrade program has dramatically improved power reliability in the northern half of the main electricity grid. Energy Minister Francis Logan said the figures from Western Power indicated that reliability had improved by 23 per cent over the last year, with total minutes lost falling from 710 to 544.

Western Australia’s newest wind farm has been officially opened in the Mid-West. Energy Minister Francis Logan said the $5.2million wind farm, located 25km south of Kalbarri, was the 12th to be built in WA. Mr Logan said the two 800kW wind turbines would improve the quality of electricity supply for Kalbarri residents and increase the capacity of the local electrical network.

A major coal-fired power station has been brought back into service overnight, providing a much-needed boost to the State’s overall energy supplies. The Collie Power Station is the State’s biggest generating unit, able to produce about 330MW of electricity. Energy Minister Francis Logan said bringing Collie back on line would reduce the amount of expensive diesel being used for power generation, and make more gas available for industry.

Vital energy supplies in Western Australia have received a boost, with part of the Kwinana Power Station returning to service after three months’ maintenance. Premier Alan Carpenter and Energy Minister Francis Logan today visited the coal-fired generating unit, one of several Verve Energy generators that were shut down for planned maintenance before the explosion on Varanus Island cut WA gas supplies by 30 per cent.

Energy retailer Synergy has launched a pilot recycling program to encourage more householders to use the energy-efficient Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL). Energy Minister Francis Logan said the program will allow householders to safely dispose of used CFLs and enable the globes to be recycled into marketable by-products.

The State Government has made it easier for businesses to get access to surplus gas with the introduction of an online ‘bulletin board’. Energy Minister Francis Logan said the new arrangement was a direct response to the current gas shortage and is designed to help Western Australian companies in need of gas.

Energy Minister Francis Logan has welcomed Western Power’s decision to provide daily information about household energy use on its website. Mr Logan said Western Australians were being encouraged to reduce their energy use during the current gas shortage following the explosion and fire at Apache Energy’s gas processing facility on Varanus Island.

The State Government has confirmed that it will increase the cap on gas tariffs for residential and small business customers. The proposed increase is included in the interim recommendations of a review of gas tariffs, conducted by the Office of Energy.

A Collie power station that was decommissioned last year is to be made ready for service in response to the current gas shortage. Energy Minister Francis Logan today instructed Verve Energy to prepare the coal-fired Muja AB power station for a return to possible service, as a back-up for Western Australia’s electricity supply.

Western Australia is leading the country in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in office buildings according to a new Australian Building Greenhouse Rating (ABGR) analysis. Energy Minister Francis Logan said WA had more buildings with a 4, 4.5 or 5-star ABGR rating than any other State.

A summer trial where air-conditioners were remotely switched off for a few minutes on hot days, resulted in a 27 per cent reduction in peak power use, without any significant loss of comfort. Energy Minister Francis Logan said about 400 residents of Perth’s western suburbs volunteered to participate in the trial.

Energy Minister Francis Logan today announced White Gum Valley as Perth’s greenest suburb. The announcement follows Synergy’s analysis of green-power customers throughout the main electricity grid. The greenest suburb was calculated from the number of customers purchasing accredited renewable energy as a proportion of households in each suburb. Mr Logan said White Gum Valley was the greenest suburb, with 5.68 per cent of households purchasing accredited renewable energy.

The State Government and Western Power have reached two significant milestones as part of Australia’s biggest underground power program. Energy Minister Francis Logan said 350,000 properties in the Perth metropolitan area are now serviced by underground power.

A new 330,000-volt transmission line between Perth and Geraldton will be the longest built by Western Power in 20 years.

In the 2008-09 State Budget, Treasurer Eric Ripper announced funding of $295million to build the line to meet the growing demand for power in the Mid-West and provide a connection point for new generation, including wind farms and other renewable and established energy projects.

15/4/2008

New training scheme to benefit Aboriginal communities

Energy Minister Francis Logan today launched a new program to train members of remote Aboriginal communities to assist in the management and maintenance of their own power systems.

Mr Logan said the innovative Aboriginal Communities Training Program would help avoid long delays in maintenance and ensure communities were supplied with safe and reliable power supplies.

14/4/2008

West Kimberley towns powered up - joint statement by the Premier and Minister for Energy

Premier Alan Carpenter today opened the Broome Power Station, marking the completion of the $700million West Kimberley Power Project - one of the biggest infrastructure investments ever made in the State’s far north.

Mr Carpenter said the project’s completion meant that the Kimberley towns of Broome, Derby, Looma, Fitzroy Crossing and Halls Creek were now all serviced by new power stations.

5/4/2008

Save money, save energy, save the environment

Householders could save hundreds of dollars by adopting a package of energy-efficient practices which have been identified as the most effective for their home.

Energy Minister Francis Logan today released the ‘Top Ten Energy Smart Tips’ which have been developed to assist Western Australians to save energy, save money and save the environment.

19/3/2008

Electricity reforms working in WA

New competition in energy trading is benefiting Western Australian consumers and the entire energy industry, according to a new report released today.

Energy Minister Francis Logan said the Annual Wholesale Electricity Market Report, compiled by the Economic Regulation Authority, represented another significant milestone in the State Government’s successful electricity reform program.

7/3/2008

Coogee lifesavers to create solar showcase

The Coogee Beach Surf Life Saving Club will use a $50,000 State Government grant to incorporate a grid-connected solar system into new clubrooms that will double as a multi-purpose community facility.

Energy Minister and Cockburn MLA Francis Logan said the funding would help create a facility that would benefit the club and the general community.

7/3/2008

Lamingtons and chocolates out; energy efficient light globes in

Energy efficient light globes will replace lamingtons, toffee apples and chocolates as school fundraisers as part of a program to be introduced in some south-eastern suburbs.

Energy Minister Francis Logan today announced State Government funding of $32,500 for a project that includes the sale of 5,000 energy saving light globes at a subsidised price to families in schools across six local government regions. 
    

5/3/2008 

New help for saving energy at home

Albany residents will soon have access to expert advice on how to save energy in their homes.

Energy Minister Francis Logan announced State Government funding of $50,000 to the Albany Community Environment Centre to teach and train its members to deliver talks to local residents on ways to save energy.

5/3/2008

Funding for sustainable energy projects

Three community-based initiatives aimed at educating the community on sustainable energy use have attracted State Government funding.

Energy Minister Francis Logan said all three projects were terrific examples of the State Government working with community groups to increase the use of renewable energy and energy-efficient products and practices.

4/3/2008  

Regional Solar Schools doubled

The number of solar schools in regional areas of Western Australia has doubled, with the latest allocation of funding under the Carpenter Government’s $5.1million Solar Schools Program.

Energy Minister Francis Logan today said another 27 regional schools would receive money to install solar power systems, bringing the total number to 54.

21/2/2008

Collie coal - prefectly suited for low emission energy

The development of clean coal technology has taken a major step forward in Western Australia following the successful international testing of the gasification of Collie coal.

Energy, Resources and Industry and Enterprise Minister Francis Logan today announced that coal from Collie was one of the most suitable coals for gasification in Australia.

20/2/2008

Study to find suitable geosequestration site

A study has been launched to identify a suitable site for the storage of carbon dioxide from a proposed new power station near Eneabba.

Energy, Resources and Industry and Enterprise Minister Francis Logan said the study could assist in the creation of the first base-load power station in Australia to use geosequestration.

22/1/2008

Historic release of land for geothermal exploration

The race is on to develop Western Australia’s geothermal energy potential, following the historic first release of acreage for geothermal exploration.

The acreage stretches from south of Kalbarri down to Dunsborough. It goes inland about 250km, finishing at a straight line slightly east of Cunderdin, Narrogin and Wagin and west of Mount Magnet. It has been divided in 495 lots, each with an area of 320sq.km. Explorers can bid for any lot within the acreage if they believe it has good potential for geothermal energy.

16/1/2008

Upgrade to Margaret River Power Supplies

Work has begun on a $2million upgrade to the electricity network in Margaret River and surrounding areas.

Energy Minister Francis Logan said the upgrade would help meet the growing demand for electricity in the area and improve overall reliability.

3/1/2008

Western Australians applauded for reducing energy use

Energy Minister Francis Logan has congratulated and thanked all Western Australians for their response to today’s gas shortage.

The North West Shelf Venture’s Karratha Gas plant, which is operated by Woodside, was forced to shut down yesterday. This led to a significant reduction in the amount of gas available to generate power in WA.

2/1/2008

Incident at Woodside’s gas plant

Energy Minister Francis Logan said the incident at the North West Shelf gas plant operated by Woodside in Karratha was unfortunate.

“This incident may have an impact on electricity supplies to the main grid,” Mr Logan said.

“I endorse Western Power’s plea for all Western Australians to do what they can to conserve electricity tomorrow.

“I have been informed by Western Power that with careful management of demand by all customers, we will hopefully avoid the possibility of rolling outages.”