Community Batteries Program
Power and Water has been conditionally granted funding to install community batteries as part of the national community battery roll out.
About the program
We are proposing to install community batteries across the Darwin-Katherine regulated electricity network. The community batteries will have a total capacity of 17MW/36MWh.
The program will support the transition to renewable energy and enable Power and Water to locate suitable sites to install community batteries. It will also provide other benefits including:
- lower emissions
- management of solar PV curtailment
- reduced costs
- complement future renewable energy projects.
Your involvement
Throughout the life of the program we aim to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including residential customers, broader community members, councils, government, retailers, and generators.
Community members
We are looking for interested community members, ages 18 and over, from across Darwin, Palmerston and the surrounding rural area to take part in our program focus groups.
Focus group members help to guide and inform the program team of community sentiment, opinions, and suggestions. This allows us to consider and address community concerns, identify opportunities, and educate the wider community of impacts and benefits to customers and the Northern Territory electricity network. Our first community forum was held on Wednesday 12 December 2024.
Industry partners
We are inviting our industry partners to be involved too. Our first virtual information session was held on Thursday 3 April 2025. We provided information on the broader community battery project, expected benefits, and looked at opportunities for industry to be involved in the project.
Register your interest
You can be involved and have your say by registering your Expression of Interest including:
- your name and preferred contact details
- your business name (if applicable)
- if you own or rent your home
- if you have rooftop solar panels and/or battery at home (not a necessity to participate).
Program funding
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has conditionally approved an $11.9 million grant to the program, as part of the Community Battery Round 1, under ARENA's Advancing Renewables Program.
Power and Water’s contribution under the funding agreement would be $34.6 million.
More information
For more information about the Community Battery Program visit our project page.
If you have any questions or comments relating to the community batteries program contact us at FutureNetworks.pwc@powerwater.com.au.