- Farmers welcome support to charge up farm batteries
- Election promise to wipe a third off the cost of installed batteries
- Covers batteries of between 50KWh and 100KWh for small businesses
Farmers for Climate Action, representing its 8400 farmer members, has welcomed the Federal Government’s election promise to help farmers and households buy batteries.
Federal Government support for farmers to install batteries to drive down their cost of farming is FCA’s #1 election campaign ask, and FCA had stressed that rebates had already proven far more effective than low interest loans in encouraging Australians to buy batteries.
The Federal Government has promised to directly subsidise batteries of between 50KWh and 100KWh for small businesses, which is a size big enough to be useful for many farmers. The subsidy will be run through the existing Small Scale Renewable Energy Scheme, which has been delivering cut-price solar panels for 15 years.
FCA CEO Natalie Collard applauded the announcement.
“We’ve asked for farm batteries to be charged up and the Federal Government has listened,” Ms Collard said.
“This promise can save farmers thousands of dollars on installing batteries – and thousands more every year by allowing them to use the energy they’ve created and then stored on-farm.
“It’s brilliant to see a cost of living promise which includes farmers. This initiative will increase regional energy resilience and independence, reduce farm energy bills and cut emissions – it’s a win for farmers, regions and the planet.”
“It takes about ten years for a battery to pay for itself through the energy bill savings it generates but this announcement will greatly shorten that, by reducing upfront costs by $370 per kilowatt hour.
“Farm batteries help reduce farm costs and that can put downward pressure on food prices.
“We know the Coalition is thinking about these issues too, and we look forward to hearing what their offer is in the farm battery space.”
FCA’s other two key election asks are for farmers to be able to use the clean energy they generate across different property titles, given farms are typically spread across several property titles, and for upgraded poles and wires in rural and regional Australia.
Almost 2000 Australians have already signed FCA’s election Open Letter. It can be found HERE
