We are committed to investing in the future of Western Australia by constantly upgrading and evolving our network to support its growth and the increasing demand for renewables.
One of the ways we are increasing capacity is through underground power. Not only does this improve safety and reduce the likelihood of outages, but it also increases the capacity of our network. By using cables with the capacity to carry more power, we can handle more load more efficiently, and undergrounding also allows for an increase in the number of circuits in play which supports the connection of more renewables and efficient use of renewable energy, which is essential to enabling a decarbonised future.
If you’re in a suburb that’s part of the underground project, it means we are installing new underground power cables and connecting them to the grid in the road reserve under verges. It also means we are designing and installing new LED streetlight systems that meet the latest Australian standards, and replacing existing wood poles and overhead powerlines (excluding transmission poles and wires) with ground-mounted transformers and switchgear units to manage the distribution of power throughout the area.
On your property, we will be installing green domes (usually at the front corner of a property and the adjacent one), connecting your home to the grid. We will also be installing the consumer mains cable, which is the underground cable connecting the connection pillar to the meter box at each property. Once this is done, we will switch your property over to the new underground system and remove the old overhead assets (conductors, poles, transformers, etc).
By investing in underground power, not only will your household be better prepared for our energy future with, increased network capacity for renewable energy such as solar and electric vehicles, our network will also be prepared to facilitate a higher demand for cleaner energy resources.
Undergrounding power is a crucial step towards decarbonisation and will make a significant difference in the way we consume and produce energy in the future.