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How power reaches Bremer Bay – and the upgrades underway

We understand that outages have caused real frustration for homes and businesses in Bremer Bay. Here you’ll find clear facts on how your local electricity supply works today, why interruptions can occur, and the improvements already in progress to improve reliability and network resilience. 

Bremer Bay is supplied by: 

  • A single 180 km rural overhead line from Albany Substation to Bremer Bay
  • The local diesel power station (BBPS): 4 × 320 kW generators, 600 kW wind turbine
  • An automatic micro-island start since 2021 – the station powers the town when the feeder is safely isolated Peak holiday demand now tops 1.4 MW; continuous abalone-farm load ≈ 400 kW

How electricity gets there

Bremer Bay sits at the far end of a 180-kilometre rural distribution feeder line. Storm-blown branches, wildlife, or bushfire conditions anywhere along that span can trip the line and interrupt supply to the whole town. Patrols and repairs take time because crews must travel long distances on rural roads. 

A note on distance: the nearest recloser that protects the line sits about 110 km from town. A fault there means every customer beyond that point is off until the issue is cleared. 

Inside the Bremer Bay Power Station (BBPS)

The BBPS houses four diesel generators (rated at 320 kW each) and a 600 kW hill-top wind turbine that operates when conditions allow. When the main feeder is safely isolated, these generators can start automatically and re-energise the town in a controlled sequence that prioritises essential services.

What the backup power station can – and can’t – do

The power station can only run when the fault is on the feeder line. If the fault occurs in or close to town, the backup generators can’t be started straight away. Switching them on could push electricity back into the damaged section of line, risking safety and further damage.

In the event of a fault, the network control team first isolates parts of the network remotely. We rapidly assess alarms and telemetry to determine the location of the fault and whether it is safe to start the back-up power station. If the fault is closer to homes or businesses, we wait for ground crews to confirm it is safe before starting. Upgrades to local switching gear now underway will let us locate faults faster and use the backup supply sooner if needed.

Demand: how usage is changing

Holiday visitation is pushing peaks higher: the 99th-percentile daily maximum climbed from 1,224 kW in 2022 to 1,456 kW in 2024. The number of days exceeding the generator’s 1.28 MW export limit jumped from 3 to 8 over the same period. Most of that growth occurs around Christmas–New Year and Easter long-weekends. Continuous load from the aquaculture pumps (≈ 400 kW) remains steady year-round. 

To help this we’ve implemented additional measures to improve network performance including undertaking maintenance and upgrades, and the installation of a switch that can be operated remotely from our Network Operations Centre. 

This switch on the Point Henry line enables us to isolate the abalone farms, which have their own back-up generation, providing us with greater flexibility to manage load and distribute power supply during peak demand. 

Why outages happen

Severe weather 

High winds can throw branches and other debris onto powerlines. During storm events our priority is to make hazards safe, often in difficult conditions that slow patrols and repairs. Some equipment, such as elevated work platforms, can’t be used until winds ease.  

Bushfire season 

In summer we set the network to more sensitive protection levels. Power will stay off after a fault until a patrol confirms it is safe to re-energise, reducing the risk of starting a fire but sometimes increasing outage length. 

Improvements we’re making right now

We’re working hard to improve network resilience and reliability for the Bremer Bay community 

  • Remote switch on the Point Henry line – operated from our Network Operations Centre, it lets us isolate the abalone farms (which have their own backup generation) and keep more power available for the township during feeder outages. Vegetation patrols – extra inspections and trimming along high-risk spans before the next storm and bushfire seasons.  
  • Improved SMS alerts – clearer, timely messages aligned with our outage-map information and social-media updates.  

Planning ahead

We’re investing $1.2 million in a broader reliability package and have begun a commercial tender to add more backup generation or battery capacity. Further upgrades at Albany Substation, including two 33 MVA transformer replacements, are scheduled for FY 26/27 to reinforce supply into the South Coast.

Community session – coming soon

We’re planning a drop-in community session in the coming months so you can speak directly with our team, ask questions and share ideas. Details will be published here once confirmed.

Staying informed

Tips to prepare in the event of an unplanned outage

  • Keep phones and battery packs charged when severe-weather warnings are issued.
  • Install surge-protected power boards for sensitive equipment.
  • Businesses: review staffing and refrigeration plans for long-weekend peaks.
  • Never connect portable generators to house wiring without a licensed electrician.