ACT eyes A$20-25m a year as Williamsdale battery switches on

Why it matters

The project is described by the outlet as an Australia-first, 15-year revenue-sharing deal between the ACT Government and Eku Energy. The Territory had no upfront development costs and expects about A$20 million to A$25 million a year from the battery’s participation in the National Electricity Market. In return, the ACT Government makes quarterly payments to Eku.

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said Canberra is “electrifying faster than any other place in the country”, according to Region Canberra. He told the event the Williamsdale battery is part of the Canberra Big Battery network, alongside smaller neighbourhood batteries, and tied the work to the ACT’s net-zero target for 2045.

The numbers

Region Canberra reports the site uses 136 Tesla Megapack 2 units, grouped into 12 collector grids. The main transformer weighs more than 180 tonnes and is larger than an ACTION bus.

Eku has also provided A$1 million in community benefit grants to local not-for-profits and the ANU Centre for Energy Systems, which is researching the best energy system for the ACT.

What’s next

Mr Barr said he does not expect Williamsdale to be the last major renewable energy storage site, according to the outlet. The report also points to the contested Flat Rock proposal at Uriarra Station. Mr Barr said Williamsdale suited a battery because of its existing solar farm and nearby transmission lines, and stressed the need to earn social licence from communities.

Eku chief operating officer Tom Best described an open approach to approvals and warned that energy security is at risk if the transition does not progress, Region Canberra says. The article does not give a storage figure in megawatt hours, so none is stated here.

For the Territory, the deal means a power asset that earns income without the ACT Government funding its development. Related: ACT house market.

Source: Region Canberra, 5 November 2026. Reported by The Australian Developer.