The electricity distributor for the western half of the state has outlined its plans to spend $2.3 billion improving infrastructure, including $30 million worth of projects in the south-west. 

The plan, along with proposed energy price cuts, were flagged in Powercor’s proposal to the Australian Energy Regulator for 2016-2020. 

Powercor chief executive officer Tim Rourke said residential and business customers could expect an average $43 annual saving on their energy costs from next year. 

He said network upgrades in Warrnambool and the surrounding area were designed to meet the expected rise in electricity demand and ensure supply reliability while supporting residential and industrial growth. 

The proposal includes replacing ageing transformers at the Warrnambool and Terang zone substations, new high-voltage lines between Warrnambool and Allansford and new 22-kilovolt high-voltage lines in the Cobden, Colac, Hamilton, Port Fairy and Portland areas. 

Mr Rourke said the upgrades would also allow the connection of more renewable energy sources to the grid and provide the ability to explore new technology to reduce the cost to customers, including battery storage. 

“A lot of our investmentS are about shifting the network from one which receives energy from a few providers to one that can receive energy from multiple sources and move that energy around in different directions,” he said. 

“Whether that’s solar on people’s homes, commercial wind farms or any other potential generations methods of the future, we need a network that can handle these technologies.” 

Mr Rourke said safety and bushfire prevention were the number one priority and Powercor would continue to work with the state government and Energy Safe Victoria to implement programs to reduce bushfire risk.