Ausgrid launches Merriwa microgrid launched to bolster Hunter community’s energy resilience

newy.com.au – Ausgrid has launched a new community microgrid in Merriwa in the Upper Hunter on Wednesday 12 November 2025, promising backup power for key local services during electricity outages.

The Merriwa Microgrid is the first project of its kind for Ausgrid and is designed to keep essential town services operating during unplanned outages and extreme weather events in regional NSW. Ausgrid says the small network will provide local, reliable energy solely for the Merriwa community, strengthening resilience for residents and businesses.

As part of the trial, the microgrid has been configured to supply backup power to 27 identified connections in the town centre. These include the pharmacy, service station, RSL Club and Country Women’s Association rooms, which Ausgrid has identified as important services and gathering points in the event of an outage.

Ausgrid chief executive Marc England said the project offered a glimpse of how electricity networks could evolve as technology and customer needs change. “This microgrid is indicative of what the future of energy looks like. It’s innovation in action,” England said. “If a power outage were to occur, Merriwa’s most vital services will still operate and that means a safe place for the community to gather and support each other.”

The microgrid infrastructure is located at Ausgrid’s depot on Bettington Street in Merriwa. It combines solar panels to generate power, a battery energy storage system to store and deliver electricity when the main grid is unavailable, and a diesel generator to provide additional backup generation when required.

During an unplanned outage, Ausgrid says the microgrid disconnects from the main grid and continues supplying electricity to the nominated town-centre customers. The intention is to ensure that fuel, medicines, community facilities and other essential services remain available while broader network issues are being repaired.

Ausgrid has emphasised the role of local input in designing the project, saying consultation with residents and businesses helped shape which services would be prioritised. The company described the microgrid as being built not just to support the electricity network, but to “keep the heart of the town beating”.

Merriwa Pharmacy owner Robert Smith said energy security was crucial for businesses dealing with specialised medicines that must be refrigerated and for maintaining day-to-day trade. “Having the microgrid ready when needed makes us stronger and more reliable – it’s fantastic for the community and provides added security for everyone,” he said.

Smith said Ausgrid’s engagement with locals had been thorough and responsive. “The consultation from Ausgrid has been second-to-none, as they worked with the community and the businesses to deliver a community-focussed result. They’ve set the standard of how things should be done,” he said.

Ausgrid says the Merriwa Microgrid forms part of its broader Future Grid strategy to make the network more responsive, resilient and reliable in the face of climate change and an evolving energy system. The initiative is a flagship project within Ausgrid’s Network Innovation Program, with lessons from the Merriwa trial expected to inform future resilience projects across the company’s network.