News that the second section of the Lal Lal Wind Farm has connected to the grid is a timely reminder that wind farm construction continues to employ regional Australians all the way through the coronavirus pandemic.

Ballarat is becoming one of Australia’s leading centres for wind energy, exporting clean power to the rest of the state and opening up new opportunities for value-adding in training and industry. The City of Ballarat is also taking advantage of low-priced renewable energy, participating in a power purchase agreement (PPA) with 49 other Victorian municipalities. 

Wind farms under construction at Stockyard Hill and Moorabool are continuing to progress with the appropriate adjustments to work practices to manage COVID-19. This provides valuable ongoing employment at a time when every job in the region is critical.

Wind energy provided around 12% of Victoria’s energy in the last year. With Lal Lal coming online and another 8 wind farms being built around the state, we can expect clean wind energy to contribute well over a fifth of Victoria’s electricity within two years time.

New wind and solar projects have shown they can create the jobs and business activity regional Victoria will need to recover from the covid-19 economic downturn.  

The Victorian government has indicated they are ready to help deliver the new transmission network needed to enable these job-creating projects and we encourage them to outline their plans. 

With support from state and federal governments the job rich transition to low-cost, low-emission technology can be unlocked.

Further information, Ballarat Courier

Image Credit: Ballarat Courier

To see some of the stories of locals building wind farms in the Ballarat region, check out our video.