An AgriFutures research, cited by the ABC, proves that subsidising batteries for farmers is a good policy for the cost of living and climate.
According to the report, the cost of installing batteries in the country was nearly twice as high as in capital cities.
Farmers for Climate Action (FCA) published a paper last year called ‘Farm Powered,’ which detailed the potential and pathways for regional Australia to benefit from the renewable energy boom.
The findings of the AgriFutures research, according to FCA spokesperson and Harden sheep farmer Peter Holding, could help keep the cost of food down for Australian people by cutting farmers’ input costs.
Holding stated that most battery storage would take farmers ten years to pay off. He added that a subsidy scheme might reduce the five-year payback term.
“A farm battery subsidy reduces farmers’ energy costs, helps keep the cost of food down, reduces the need for big transmission lines across farmland and helps smooth out the high-use morning and evening peaks in energy demand,” Holding said.
Holding stated that providing farmers with a helping hand in becoming energy independent is terrific for cost of living, energy security, and the environment.
According to the AgriFutures research, the average cost of installing batteries in 2022 is $1200-$1300 per kilowatt hour for household installs and $600-$700 per kilowatt hour for “utility-scale installations,” however these costs rise dramatically in rural areas.
The research cites four agricultural case studies, two indicating that a subsidy would make the battery more practical (a third had received a government grant).
“The cost of this proposed battery could be decreased … if a government rebate/subsidy was available,” the report said.
The report also discovered that the expenditure to install batteries in remote locations was higher due to more transportation costs, additional site infrastructure, and higher costs to recruit tradespeople and contractors.
