A framework and action plan to guide future solar and battery investment across City assets has been adopted by Council.
In 2025, the City adopted its Corporate Emissions Reduction Plan, which identified a Solar and Battery Framework and Action Plan as a priority action.
The Plan provides a staged, evidence-based approach for planning, prioritising and implementing solar and battery systems across the City's operational and community assets.
The development of the Plan was informed by technical and financial assessments, stakeholder engagement and consideration of Pilbara-specific challenges including cyclonic design requirements, extreme climate conditions, contestable electricity pricing and supply chain constraints.
Outcomes of the Framework are split across short, medium and long-term priorities, with short-term outcomes focussing on delivering high-return, low-risk rooftop solar projects with short payback periods and expanding solar across the City's housing portfolio.
Medium-term priorities include expanding solar across larger facilities, and early Community Infrastructure Plan projects and housing.
Meanwhile Long-term priorities will focus on continuing to expand solar across the City's asset portfolio, implementing battery storage where financially viable and delivering more complex or lower-return projects as assets are upgraded or redeveloped.
City of Karratha Mayor Daniel Scott said the Solar and Battery Framework and Action Plan was a practical, evidence-based roadmap to guide future renewable energy investment.
“It establishes clear implementation priorities, a consistent decision-making framework and supporting modelling tools to inform future business cases, capital planning and budget decisions.
“Adoption of the Framework and Plan will position the City to progressively reduce electricity costs and greenhouse gas emissions while ensuring future renewable energy investments are strategically planned, transparently assessed and aligned with long-term asset management objectives.
“The City has already invested in solar at facilities including the Karratha Leisureplex, Operations Centre and Karratha Airport, and this Framework provides a clear pathway for building on that foundation.”
The Plan supports the City's Environmental Sustainability Strategy, Corporate Emissions Reduction Plan and Community Infrastructure Plan, and includes targets to install an average of 200kW of solar capacity annually on City facilities from 2026 to 2035 and 500kWh of battery storage annually from 2028 to 2035.