Applications are now open for the second round of Energy Resilience and Energy Education and Literacy Grants, under AusNet’s $12 million Energy Resilience Community Fund (ERCF).
The utility said that the program has already distributed more than $3.5 million to help support impacted communities, with 24 recipients recently receiving a combined $650,000 in grants from round one.
AusNet Executive General Manager Distribution, Andrew Linnie, said the aim of the ERCF is to help communities become more prepared to withstand future weather events and other electricity reliability challenges.
“We are seeing the increase in severity and frequency of weather events, and with that the risk of prolonged power outages also increases. These grants will be awarded to eligible community and not-for-profit organisations, local councils, and small businesses to strengthen community energy resilience,” Mr Linnie said.
Up to $50,000 is available for Energy Resilience Grants and up to $25,000 for Energy Education and Literacy Grants.
Grants funding is for physical and mobile energy resilience assets and education, awareness and literacy programs to help build and strengthen community energy resilience, and to help communities prepare for and recover after a severe weather event or outage.
The Energy Resilience Community Fund was created to enable projects that will build long-term community energy resilience and provide support to communities during the recovery phase after severe weather events which significantly impact the electricity network.
Funded projects must be located within AusNet’s electricity distribution area and clearly improve community energy resilience.
For more information, visit www.ausnetservices.com.au/about-us/community/energy-resilience-community-fund.
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