Maine's Power to combat climate change

Rising energy costs and increasing energy demand threaten the vitality of local enterprise in the Mount Alexander Shire. Currently, most of the energy used in the region is derived from high carbon emission brown coal power stations in the Latrobe Valley making the carbon cost per megawatt of electricity used in the shire among the highest in Australia, due to the losses of transmission from this source.

The Maine’s Power project sees scientists from CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship working in partnership with local business - and major energy users - in Victoria’s Castlemaine district to develop a roadmap to collectively reduce 2006 greenhouse gas emissions levels by 30 per cent by 2010.

Over the next eight months, scientists, as part of the Intelligent Grid project, will assess the current energy demand, survey ways to reduce energy consumption and explore the introduction of innovative technology to provide low emission power generation to these businesses.

Dr John Wright, Director of CSIRO Energy Transformed National Research Flagship, applauded the early action and collaborative approach the community has embraced to tackle the complex issues of climate change and energy use.

“The success of this project relies on the strength of the partnerships, driven by a motivated and focused community,” Dr Wright said.

“The businesses involved will reduce the energy they consume and, at the same time, look at introducing alternative power generation technology. This may involve embedded power generation technologies, including solar and wind power, to create a greener, more energy secure and sustainable future.”

The project is one of several undertaken in communities around the country as part of CSIRO’s Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI). The SCI brings together expertise and resources from a range of organisations from across the public, private and NGO sectors, to work in partnership with communities, to develop and deliver solutions to local sustainability issues.

The Maine’s Power project is an example of an enterprising business community engaged in partnership with organisations from across the public and private sectors, working together to address local sustainability challenges and opportunities.

The project, undertaken as part of CSIRO’s Sustainable Communities Initiative and the Energy Transformed Flagship, is supported by funding from Regional Development Victoria, Sustainability Victoria - Smart Zones, the Mount Alexander Shire Council, as well as contributions from the local partners.

Dr John Wright offers further insights into this pioneering community initiative at CSIROpod in the broadcast titled Attacking greenhouse gas emissions – collectively.