19 May 2021 Forty-six Victorian councils have banded together to underwrite a massive renewable energy off-take deal, signing up to buy 240GWh of wind power from two major Victorian wind farms through a deal with Snowy Hydro-owned retailer Red Energy. Led by Darebin City Council in Melbourne’s north, the Victorian Energy Collaboration, or VECO, will purchase enough renewable energy to power 45 per cent of the state’s local government electricity demand with renewables, over a period of 9.5 years, starting 1 July, 2021. The ground-breaking deal, which has been facilitated by Victorian Greenhouse Alliances, is expected to save Councils up to 35 per cent on their electricity bills, based on current costs and depending on each council’s energy needs.