Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Water Senator Penny Wong announced in Newcastle today that a consortium led by EnergyAustralia had won the Federal Government’s $100-million Smart Grid Smart City bid.

Senator Wong said the project, which involves the country’s first commercial-scale smart grid, would help Australians to save energy, connect renewable energy to the grid and to tackle climate change.

‘‘Smart grids are critical in the fight against climate change, as they have enormous potential to improve the efficiency of our electricity sector and transform the way we use energy in our homes and businesses,’’ Senator Wong said.

‘‘Smart Grids give households the ability to manage their own energy use, as they give consumers information about how much energy they are using and the costs at any time.’’

She said consumers could also use Smart Grids with energy efficient ‘‘smart appliances’’ that can be set to run on off-peak power.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

Full reports in Tuesday's Herald.