WESTERN POWER —
SOUTH WEST INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM
934. Hon JAMES HAYWARD to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Energy:
I refer to the decision by Western
Power to enforce the installation of 32-amp circuit breakers in regional areas.
(1) What
immediate actions is the minister taking to ensure solar system installers in
regional WA are not run out of business?
(2) Will the minister
direct Western Power to exempt the installation of solar systems from the
32-amp circuit breaker requirement as an
interim solution until a comprehensive strategy for the south west
interconnected system is determined?
(3) If no to (2),
why not?
Hon
MATTHEW SWINBOURN replied:
I thank the member for some notice
of the question. The following answer is based on information supplied to me by
the Minister for Energy.
(1) The minister
thanks the solar industry for its continued advocacy on this matter and for
raising its concerns with him over recent months. The minister asked Western
Power to carry out a thorough review of the situation. Western Power has
completed its review and is finalising details of the next steps to be taken,
with further details to be provided by the end of the year.
(2)–(3) No.
The requirement for the installation of a circuit breaker for new connections
to the grid, both in metropolitan and rural
areas, remains critical to provide overload protection for a household if their
capacity is exceeded. This critical safety measure prevents significant
outages and damage to equipment, ensuring safe and equitable access of power
supply for the whole community.