Hawkesbury City Council, New South Wales, has taken a major step towards its goal of achieving net-zero emissions, with the signing of a long term energy contract with ENGIE, underpinned by renewable energy.
The 10 year Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) will reduce Council’s carbon emissions by about 67,000 tonnes (the equivalent of removing more than 1000 cars from the roads) and will deliver significant ongoing cost savings through reduced rates on Council’s electricity bills.
Mayor, Barry Calvert, said, “Rising electricity costs are affecting communities across Australia. Businesses and government organisations also feel this cost pressure, including local councils.
“Through our agreement with ENGIE, we were able to reduce our costs, while also standing by our commitment to renewable energy.”
ENGIE Executive General Manager of Energy Management, Mr Andrew Hyland, said the PPA was the latest example of ENGIE using its understanding of the wholesale energy market to design solutions for customers transitioning to a zero-carbon future.
“There is a growing number of forward thinking councils, such as Hawkesbury City Council, who are actively seeking greener energy.
“The ENGIE PPA model is a simple solution to reduce carbon emissions, secure stable energy supplies and keep costs down.
“The increasing support for renewable energy also helps companies like ENGIE to invest in renewable generation capacity.”
Since the PPA came into effect on 1 January, 2020 the largest council area in Metropolitan Sydney is matching 100 percent of electricity consumption for its largest facilities against the equivalent volume of energy taken across generation output from the Parkes and Griffith solar farms.
