Cabonne is several steps closer to commencing construction of a solar power plant on the outskirts of Eugowra.

The 2.14MW solar power station, which will include a 5MWh battery, is planned for a site on Casuarina Drive – on the same lot as the sewage treatment ponds.

The plant will provide enough electricity to offset the council’s power usage as well as pay back the council’s investment and generate income in future, general manager Brad Byrnes said.

Councillors at their June meeting saw a modification to the development consent, with the plant moved about 100m south of the site approved in March 2023.

The council is now negotiating tenders for the design and construction of the plant, Mr Byrnes said, and completing the tender for the augmentation of the electricity network to the site.

“That’s the final piece of the puzzle, then we’re ready to commence construction with a foreshadowed, revised completion now of March 2026 hopefully going live,” Mr Byrnes said.

The power plant has been in the planning since 2020, with the State Government announcing $1.5 million in funding to support it in February 2023.

It puts Cabonne on the pathway to meeting legislative requirements to lower emissions in the long-term, but the council will at this stage only require about half the power it generates.

The other 50 per cent of power will – at least in the early stages - be available to the electricity market.

The battery, funded by a Resources to the Regions grant, is key to the viability of the mid-size plant, Mr Byrnes said.

“It enables us to release power to the market when it’s most advantageous, that’s the game changer for us,” Mr Byrnes said.

In the long term, with Cabonne Council also looking to electrify its fleet of vehicles and equipment, it has the capacity to also account for that increase in electricity use.