ANIMAL JUSTICE NSW (@animalnsw2025.bsky.social)

Groundbreaking First Nations' Solar Microgrid Project secures catalytic ARENA Funding - Project to launch mid-2026 The Borroloola community’s Ngardara Solar Microgrid project in the Northern Territory has achieved a major milestone with the awarding of $8.347M in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency Regional Microgrid Program’s First Nations’ stream today. The grant funding also helps unlock access to private and philanthropic investment, placing the project on track to achieve financial close by mid 2026 with construction commencement targeted to begin in September. An Australian-first, the microgrid project is an innovative model of utility-scale and First Nations’ community-owned renewable energy, with design and development co-led by First Nations’ renewable energy developer Original Power with the Borroloola community’s Ngardara Cooperative as majority owner. Comprising a 2.1 megawatt (MW) solar array and 1.8 MW / 6.6 MWh battery, the microgrid project has been designed to assist the Borroloola township to achieve up to 80% renewable energy penetration – saving the Northern Territory Government 1.2 million litres of diesel every year, offering significant electricity cost reductions to First Nations’ households, and reducing government subsidies required to mitigate volatile diesel wholesale costs. The project is proposing a commercial model where the revenue generated by the community microgrid will be shared with local First Nations’ households to provide electricity bill... https://econews.com.au/groundbreaking-first-nations-solar-microgrid-project-secures-catalytic-arena-funding-project-to-launch-mid-2026/