Victoria’s Water Sector Leading Way On Renewables
The Allan Labor Government is powering ahead to reduce emissions with all Victorian water corporations on track to be powered with 100 percent renewable electricity by the end of this year.
Minister for Water Gayle Tierney today announced all 18 of Victoria’s water corporations are on schedule to meet their target to source all of their electricity from renewable sources by the end of 2025.
Water corporations have also set a target to reduce their emissions to net-zero by 2035 – more than half of them have brought that target forward, aiming reach net-zero by 2030.
The shift to powering operations with renewable electricity has seen water corporations reduce their emissions by 42 percent, the equivalent to removing around 136,000 cars off Victoria’s roads.
Investments in renewable energy will help lower power bills for water corporations, which means they can continue to deliver affordable water and sewer services to the community.
Water corporations have invested in significant renewable energy projects within the water sector, including the Nhill renewable energy facility, which produces enough electricity to cover 70 percent of the total electricity used at all of Grampians Wimmera Mallee Water’s 330 sites.
Collaboration has also allowed water corporations to purchase renewable electricity at a cheaper cost. Zero Emissions Water, a collective of 12 water corporations, purchases up to 7,000MWh of renewable electricity from the Kiamal Solar Farm at a cheaper rate than would be available independently.
The changes are being delivered alongside the recent announcement that the State Electricity Commission (SEC) signed retail contracts to supply all Victorian Government operations with cheap, renewable electricity.
As stated by Minister for Water Gayle Tierney
“Our water sector is leading the way towards a cleaner future, showing consumers and industry that we can tackle climate change and boost renewable energy use as our population grows.”
“It is pleasing to see all our water corporations are on track to power all of their operations with renewable electricity this year – a major step towards achieving net-zero by 2035.”
As stated by the Minister for Climate Action Lily D’Ambrosio
“Thanks to our investment in renewable energy, Victoria has the lowest energy prices in the market, supporting Government agencies, local businesses and families cut their energy bills.”
https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2025-06/250611-Victoria%E2%80%99s-Water-Sector-Leading-The-Way-On-Renewables.pdf