The beautiful logo is by local artist Freya Job
The Project
Braidwood and its surrounds
are connected to the electricity grid via a high voltage line from Captains
Flat. This line runs overland and if it gets broken, our community ceases to
have power until it is repaired. This line was nearly broken in 2023 when a cement
truck ran into one of the poles between Braidwood and Captains flat but could
also be severed due to hazardous weather or bushfires. The town of Cobargo
knows this all too well, as the 2019-2020 bushfires destroyed the poles and
wires and left them without power.
Braidwood Clean
Energy Inc. is working with EDP Renewables Australia (EDPR), a developer of town scale solar
farms, about making our community more resilient and less vulnerable to grid
outages. Since the fires, EDP Renewables has been helping Braidwood to be more resilient
by building a ‘microgrid’ which will mean that if they are disconnected from
the grid, they can operate independently.
EDPR is seeking funding from ARENA, Australia’s
renewable energy agency, to create a microgrid for Braidwood as well. This
microgrid will consist of a 5MW solar farm and a community scale battery (5MW/10MWh) to provide
the town with uninterrupted electricity in the event of future grid
outages.
Public Meetings
BCE and EDPR held two Public meetings on 19 March 2026 to explain the current status of the project with over 50 people attending the two sessions.
The presentation given by EPPR can be found here.