Historic Renewable Energy Build A Big Deal

After all the talk and all the chatter, Western Australia is set for the biggest electricity boost in its history, with ten new renewable energy and battery projects just announced on 2 May 2026, across the Wheatbelt, Mid‑West, Peel and South West. Together, they will deliver 1.9 gigawatts of new wind and solar generation and 482 megawatts of battery storage — which, the experts say, is enough to meet the needs of nine in ten WA households.

To put the scale in perspective: once operating, these projects will provide twice the power output of the ageing Muja and Collie coal‑fired stations on their best day.

The projects are supported through the Federal Albanese Government’s Capacity Investment Scheme, with additional backing from the WA Cook Labor Government through power purchase agreements that helped several proposals reach viability. In total, they represent $5 billion in new energy infrastructure and will create around 7,000 construction jobs and 500 ongoing maintenance roles.

Credit Karsten Wurth for Unsplash

Spread from Three Springs to Collie and across to Kondinin, the six wind farms, three big batteries and one solar‑battery hybrid installation will be operational by 2030 — the same year WA exits coal‑fired power.

So, what will the projects deliver?

The answer, the politicians explain in their joint media release, is –

Enough renewable electricity to power more than 1 million WA homes
Battery storage capable of supporting over 400,000 households for four hours during peak demand
A combined 1.886 GW of new generation and 2.1 GWh of storage from wind and solar
A further 482 MW / 3,683 MWh of dispatchable battery capacity
Hundreds of millions of dollars flowing into regional communities, including commitments to Australian steel and First Nations training and employment

Federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen said the announcement represents “the biggest electricity boost in WA’s history,” adding that firmed renewables will mean “more reliability, more investment, more jobs and lower bills and emissions.”

(From L) Fremantle MLA Simone McGurk, Josh Wilson, Amber-Jade Sanderson

Fremantle MP and Chris Bowen’s Assistant Minister, Josh Wilson said the tender results show the strength of WA’s renewable pipeline, noting that renewable generation in the South West grid reached 46.1% between January and March — more than five percentage points higher than the same period last year.

WA Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber‑Jade Sanderson said the state has “supercharged the renewable energy transition” and that the new projects will help establish WA as a “clean energy powerhouse.”

So, just where are the projects are going?

Here’s where –

Wind farms: Yathroo (near Gingin), Narrogin, Kondinin, Tathra (Eneabba), Waddi (Dandaragan), and Hill River (near Jurien).

Solar + battery hybrid: Kadathinni (near Three Springs).

Battery projects: Collie (Palmer), Yathroo (Mimegarra near Cataby), and Waroona (Wagerup)

These developments follow earlier rounds of the Capacity Investment Scheme, which has now supported 65 projects nationally, totalling 13 GW of renewable generation and 21.6 GWh of dispatchable storage.

There can be little doubt that as WA prepares for a coal‑free grid by 2030, this latest wave of investment marks a major step in securing cleaner, cheaper and more reliable power for the state.

By Michael Barker, Editor, Fremantle Shipping News.

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