Western Power’s fleet of emergency response generators (ERGs) are ready in the event of any extreme weather events this coming summer.
With the Bureau of Meteorology forecasting one of the hottest summers on record, Western Power has its ERG fleet ready so it can continue to deliver power to communities whose supply may be interrupted due to outages caused by severe weather events or bushfires.
Western Power’s fleet comprises of 37 ERGs and seven high-voltage injection units (HVIU). HVIUs connect several ERGs together to power a larger area than would normally be possible when only using a single generator.
Western Power Executive Manager of Asset Operations Zane Christmas said the ERGs were important for regional towns at the end of long feeder lines.
“These generators are connected to existing infrastructure and can deliver continued power when a town or community is experiencing an extended outage,” Mr Christmas said.
“We are also in the process of securing an additional 18 ERGs, which we expect to be added to the fleet progressively over the next couple of years,” he said.
“Communities in Kalbarri, Dongara and Mullewa have access to semi-permanent HVIUs for improved reliability.”
“We proactively investigate potential sites across the network to fast-track deployment in the event severe weather or bushfire impacts to power supply.”
“We also make adjustments to those semi-permanent generator installations when required.”
Crews undertake specialist generator training to support generator deployment with installation times varying dependent upon the location.
“Our aim is always to ensure continued power supply delivery and improve network resilience,” he said.
“We’re doing all we can to prevent outages as our grid transitions to a green energy future.
“We’re also improving the way we keep the community informed about what we’re doing, and what they can do to help support the network when needed.”