Melton City Council is among 46 councils to sign up to the largest emissions reduction project ever undertaken by local government in Australia.
Announced this week, the Victorian Energy Collaboration (VECO) will create a buyers group to pool the electricity needs of the councils into a long-term contract with Red Energy that will help them switch to 100 per cent renewable electricity.
By powering council buildings, libraries, community centres, street lights, and leisure centres with green energy, the council's will collectively reduce greenhouse emissions by 260,000 tonnes of C02-e every year – the equivalent of taking 90,000 cars off the road.
The VECO is the most significant emissions reduction project undertaken by local governments in Australia, and will account for 45 per cent of all Victorian council electricity.
The landmark collaboration project has been initiated and facilitated by the Victorian Greenhouse Alliances and Darebin City Council.
City of Melton Mayor Cr Kathy Majdlik said Council was proud to be part of such an important project to do our part in tackling climate change.
"I'm really proud that we're part of a landmark collaboration that will have such a huge impact on our environment and on lowering operating costs," Cr Majdlik said.
"By joining forces with so many other councils, we have the potential to pool an amount of electricity equivalent to taking 90,000 cars off the road each year.
"Through the collective buying of renewable electricity, we'll help drive investment in renewables, while increasing energy stability, reducing retail energy prices and reducing Council's energy bills."
VECO is expected to save council up to 35 per cent on its electricity bills, based on current average costs across Victorian councils.
The VECO aligns with the Melton City Council Environment Plan 2017-2027, in which Council committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2040 and prioritised a greater use of renewable energy. Council has outlined its plan in a pledge to Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change, the Hon. Lily D'Ambrosio, and will soon begin to install about 600kW of rooftop solar panels on the top energy consuming sites including the Civic Centre in Melton, Caroline Springs Library, and Melton Waves Leisure Centre.
