Port Kennedy to have permanent community battery under a Labor Federal Government

Port Kennedy could get its own community battery if Anthony Albanese secures the country’s top job at the upcoming Federal election. As part of Federal Labor’s plan to install 400 community batteries nationally, the Opposition Leader and shadow minister for climate change and energy Chris Bowen have announced an ambitious plan to install five community batteries across Perth in the first instance should Labor be elected to government. Port Kennedy is one of five suburbs set to get a battery, alongside Coogee, Dianella, Kinross and Stratton. Up to 50 per cent of households have rooftop solar in these areas and Federal Labor said the suburbs were chosen in consultation with the State Government. Incumbent Brand MP Madeleine King said she is excited at the prospect of a community battery in Port Kennedy. “I’m excited that a future Albanese Labor Government will invest in a new community battery in Port Kennedy,” Ms King said. “WA has abundant natural energy like solar; community batteries help us to work smarter in how we take advantage of it.” Ms King’s challenger for Brand at the upcoming election, Liberal candidate Peter Hudson, said the Morrison Government is already taking advantage of the high number of rooftop solar panels in Port Kennedy by “investing $20 billion in new, clean technology nationwide”. “Our investment in emissions reductions includes community battery locations for electric vehicles, which are becoming more common in areas of Brand,” he said. “The Brand electorate will benefit from the Morrison Government’s national plan to reduce emissions and reach net zero by 2050.” WA currently has 13 community battery trials, including one in Port Kennedy, another in the City of Kwinana and two more in the City of Mandurah. At present, there are eight electric vehicle charging stations across the Brand electorate.