The WA Government has unveiled the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) Transmission Plan, outlining major upgrades to the State’s main power grid to accelerate the clean energy transition while expanding opportunities in local manufacturing.
The Cook Government said the plan is central to positioning Western Australia as a renewable energy powerhouse, while phasing out coal generation and supporting the growth of new industries.
It is designed to expand network capacity, power Strategic Industrial Areas (SIAs), and strengthen the State’s economic base.
Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the plan will underpin WA’s future energy needs and create opportunities for local manufacturers.
“The SWIS Transmission Plan is our blueprint for infrastructure upgrades that will support our energy transition and ensure WA becomes a renewable energy powerhouse,” she said.
“The Cook Government is also backing our manufacturing sector. I will issue new Directions to Western Power, Synergy, and Horizon Power to ensure Western Australian businesses and workers benefit from the pipeline of work that will flow from the SWIS upgrade for years to come.”
The Directions, issued under the Government Trading Enterprises Act 2023, will require utilities to design tenders in ways that give local businesses genuine opportunities to compete and win, aiming to increase WA-based manufacturing.
The plan will be rolled out in three phases. The first phase will deliver upgrades at the Kwinana SIA and Western Trade Coast, the Coolangatta Industrial Estate, and Kemerton SIA, unlocking 1,500 megawatts to support industry expansion.
The Coolangatta project is seen as vital in backing the Collie Just Transition. Phase two will cover Chittering, Moora, Collie, and areas around metropolitan Perth, while phase three will expand the network to facilitate new green industries and economic diversification.
Minister Sanderson said the transmission upgrades would create lasting benefits. “We’ve taken our long-term vision for the SWIS and mapped the transmission needed to deliver it,” she said.
“Ultimately, it will mean a decarbonised energy system delivering clean, cost-competitive energy to Western Australian households and businesses.”
The Government said the plan will not only help decarbonise existing industries but also open the way for new sectors to emerge, with manufacturing at the centre of this growth.
“Transmission is a vital enabler for decarbonisation, and for a more diverse, more resilient and more prosperous Western Australian economy,” Minister Sanderson said.
More details are available in the State’s report Mapping a Future-Ready Transmission Network for the South West Interconnected System.
