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Baw Baw Shire Council joins Victorian Energy Collaboration to help take more action on renewable energy and reduce carbon emissions

Baw Baw Shire Council has joined the Victorian Energy Collaboration (VECO) which will supply 100% renewable energy to street lights and multiple large facilities within the Shire.

By news@gippsland - 18th August 2022 - Back to News

As of July 1 2022, council has aligned with VECO, alongside 46 councils across Victoria for an 8 year partnership that will see renewable energy being used to power up to 6,350 streetlights and several council-owned buildings including:

• Drouin Customer Service Centre
• West Gippsland Arts Centre
• Warragul Civic Place
• Warragul ShowGrounds
• Drouin Recreation Reserve
• Trafalgar Business Centre
• Trafalgar Transfer Station and closed Trafalgar Landfill

VECO is the largest emissions reduction project undertaken by the local government sector in Australia. 46 Victorian councils have pooled their electricity needs into one long-term contract with Red Energy, which will provide the VECO group with renewable energy generated from wind farms in Victoria.

By switching electricity over to 100% renewable energy in Victoria through VECO, 260,000 tonnes of carbon emissions be removed, the same as taking 90,000 cars off the road

Future cost savings

By switching electricity over to 100% renewable energy through VECO, Victoria's carbon footprint is to be reduced by hundreds of thousands of tonnes of co2 per year - comparable to taking 90,000 cars off the road.

The scheme does not just benefit the environment, it also means that each participating council will pay less for their power than if they sourced individually. Every dollar saved is another that council will put back into the Revolving Sustainability Fund, which will ensure that future cost savings are reinvested into the delivery of new sustainability projects, guaranteeing further savings and environmental benefits to council and the community.

For more details, please visit VECO's One big renewable energy contract web page.

Eco-friendly initiative

Mayor Cr Michael Leaney said, "One priority that came through loud and clear when we undertook wide-ranging public consultation for the Baw Baw Shire Community Vision, is that our community wants eco-friendly, sustainable choices."

"That is what this decision is all about. We are proud to partner with VECO and to vastly increase our use of 100% renewable energy sources. This initiative is a step in the right direction to support our Shire, our environment and our future". Cr Leaney concluded.

Pictures from Baw Baw Shire Council website.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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