Western Australia Invests $1B in Clean Energy Grid

Western Australia just committed $1 billion to building the clean energy infrastructure that will power its homes and industries for decades to come.

The state government's new Clean Energy Fund will finance a network of transmission lines and renewable energy projects across the Southwest Interconnected System. The investment targets Perth and the Southwest region, where demand for reliable, affordable electricity continues to grow.

At the heart of the plan is the Clean Energy Link program, a series of major transmission projects that will connect renewable energy sources to the grid. CEL-East will link new wind and solar developments east of Collie to the power system by the end of 2029, opening up fresh capacity for clean generation.

Meanwhile, CEL-North is already under construction between Malaga and Three Springs. This high-capacity transmission corridor will carry renewable energy from Western Australia's wind-rich Mid-West region starting in late 2027.

Together, these two projects alone will deliver around 3 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity. That's enough to power hundreds of thousands of homes while supporting approximately 800 construction jobs during the build phase.

"My government's vision is to keep Western Australia's economy the strongest in the nation," said State Premier Roger Cook. The government is also fast-tracking CEL-Kwinana, which will support up to 900 megawatts of additional industrial demand in the Western Trade Coast precinct.

The investment extends beyond transmission infrastructure. An additional $7 million will support renewable energy projects across regional Western Australia, including initiatives in the West Kimberley, Coral Bay, Hopetoun, Denham and the Pilbara through utility Horizon Power.

The Ripple Effect

This funding builds on momentum from earlier this year, when Western Australia launched a $153 million program offering low-interest loans to manufacturers upgrading to cleaner technology. The state is creating an ecosystem where renewable energy becomes the foundation for economic growth, not just environmental progress.

As these transmission lines take shape over the next few years, they'll do more than move electrons. They're creating pathways for communities and industries to access cleaner power while building the skilled workforce needed for the energy transition.

Western Australia is proving that ambitious climate action and economic strength can power forward together.