Benefits of Underground Power
Compared with overhead supply, underground power provides a number of benefits including:
- improved reliability and security of electricity supply
- reduced maintenance costs
- improved streetscapes and enhanced property values
- reduced street tree maintenance costs and increased tree canopy
- improved street lighting and community safety, and
- increased capacity to host distributed energy resources (DER) such as rooftop solar and electric vehicles.
Program Design
Similar to its predecessor, the Targeted Underground Power Program (TUPP) is a partnership between the Government of Western Australia, Western Power and local governments. Funding for projects is shared between these program partners.
The TUPP has been designed to maximise Western Power’s contribution to project costs, target parts of the network most in need of replacement and direct State Government funding to lower socio-economic areas through tiered levels of State Government support.
Key features of the new Program include:
- selection of project areas through a network-driven approach, which prioritises areas with a high density of aging overhead assets to maximise Western Power’s contribution while minimising risk on the network
- a State Government contribution to support projects in lower socio-economic areas
- improved governance and simplified administration, including an ongoing rolling program (rather than competitive funding rounds) and annual oversight through the State Budget process, and
- demonstrated ratepayer support for projects.
The move from funding rounds to a rolling program will allow for a more efficient use of contractors and allow more projects to be delivered, with Western Power targeting approximately eight projects per year.
Program Delivery
The Program was launched in November 2022, with the first projects expected to commence in 2024.
The TUPP Steering Committee is responsible for overseeing implementation of the TUPP. It is comprised of representatives from the Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety (Energy Policy WA), Western Power, the Department of Treasury and the Western Australian Local Government Association.
Western Power is responsible for Program implementation, in accordance with the TUPP Guidelines.
Western Power has initiated discussions with 12 local governments to date and is generating a pipeline of projects that meet its network replacement needs, as well as the needs of local governments and customers. A list of current TUPP projects is available on Western Power's website.
Western Power also maintains a Network Renewal Map, which provides an indication of areas with potential for underground power.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to FAQs are provided on Western Power’s underground power webpage (scroll to the bottom of the page).
