Conpower

The new Consolidated Power Projects Western Australia office is bringing local high-voltage expertise closer to the state’s growing pipeline of renewable, firming and grid infrastructure projects.

As featured in August 2026 Edition Ecogeneration Magazine

Western Australia’s (WA) energy transition is driving unprecedented investment in renewable generation, transmission infrastructure, and grid connection projects. 

As part of this year’s Federal Budget, $1.4 billion was allocated to support renewable energy integration into the state’s main electricity network, including three priority transmission projects identified by the WA Government. A further $973 million will be invested in the Western Power network to increase electricity capacity and support future industrial and residential growth. 

To support this growing pipeline, Consolidated Power Projects (CPP) is expanding its WA operations, investing in engineering, project delivery and construction capability across the state.

Leading the WA team is Shaun Maree, General Manager – Operations (WA), and Russell Clarke, Engineering Manager (WA), who together bring decades of experience across transmission, grid connections, renewable energy, and major electrical infrastructure projects.

For Maree, CPP’s new office in WA reflects the scale of change and opportunity taking place across the sector.

“There’s a certain irony in starting my career in coal mines and later playing a role in the energy transition away from carbon heavy generation,” he says.

His career has spanned electrical trades, high-voltage infrastructure, Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC), and renewable energy projects across Africa and Australia.

“With our long-standing clients advancing projects in WA, and as part of CPP’s long-term strategy, the timing was right to strengthen our presence in the state,” Maree says.

“Having worked on projects here, I understand how important strong relationships and people on the ground are to supporting developers, asset owners and network businesses.”

WA’s unique combination of robust policy support, state government investment, capacity schemes, and project development activity continues to attract significant energy infrastructure investment. 

Clarke has seen that evolution firsthand through his work across transmission planning and customer connection projects. 

“Over the last five years, I’ve seen a significant increase in connections and transmission works in WA, and that’s translating into substantial engineering and construction activity,” he says. 

“There’s a big job ahead of us, but also a unique opportunity to help build the infrastructure that will underpin WA’s future energy system.”

Building capability
One of the biggest challenges facing the sector is workforce availability. With mining, oil and gas, renewable energy, and transmission projects all competing for similar skillsets, attracting and retaining experienced people remains a key focus for the industry.

To support growing demand, CPP is expanding its WA operations by building local engineering, project delivery and construction capability across the state. Its Perth office, co-located with fellow Quanta Services company Enscope in West Leederville, provides a local base for CPP’s growing team, with engineering and project delivery resources expected to more than double by the end of 2026 and continue to scale again by the end of 2027.

That growth will be supported by a site-based construction workforce across WA projects. For Clarke, building capability is a critical part of the business’s long-term plans.

“My focus is on developing a high-calibre WA engineering team that complements CPP’s national capability, while creating opportunities for people to build their careers locally,” he says.

The second challenge is transmission infrastructure approvals. While project approvals and offtake arrangements continue to progress, many developments remain dependent on transmission network upgrades and augmentation projects being delivered on schedule.

“Projects can secure approvals and offtakes, but they still rely on the network keeping pace,” Maree says. According to Clarke, early contractor involvement is becoming increasingly important in helping developers improve certainty during project development.

“Early involvement provides greater clarity around project requirements, delivery strategies and timelines, while allowing resources to be planned ahead of construction,” he says. 

One group, multiple capabilities 
CPP forms part of Quanta Services, one of the world’s largest and prominent energy and infrastructure contractors. In Australia, that includes fellow operating companies Enscope and Nacap, creating opportunities to combine specialist capabilities across generation, transmission, industrial and renewable energy projects. Rather than operating in isolation, CPP’s WA strategy has focused on working alongside established Quanta businesses already operating within WA.

“Part of our strategy was to build on the local presence that already existed within the Quanta family,” Maree says. “That gave us the ability to establish ourselves quickly while continuing to recruit and grow our own WA team.” 

That collaborative approach is already being applied across several projects.

CPP is currently working alongside Enscope on a WA gas generation project involving a 330 kilovolt substation and grid connection, while also partnering with Nacap on renewable energy developments that combine electrical and civil balance-of plant delivery under a single model. 

For project owners, the approach helps reduce interfaces, improve coordination and create greater certainty around delivery.

 “A lot of clients are looking for a more streamlined delivery model across larger projects,” Maree says. “Combining civil and electrical capability within one delivery team can simplify project execution and improve outcomes.”

CPP and Nacap have previously delivered projects together in eastern Australia and are now progressing opportunities within WA. The company is also partnering with PSD Energy on solar and battery hybrid developments, combining solar construction expertise with CPP’s experience delivering more than four gigawatts of battery energy storage projects nationally.

Looking ahead 
While much of today’s activity is concentrated within the South West Interconnected System, both Maree and Clarke expect investment and development opportunities to continue expanding across the state over the coming years.

 “The timing is right,” Maree says.

“There’s significant activity happening today, and we expect to see further opportunities emerge as WA’s energy transition continues.”

Beyond project delivery, CPP is focused on supporting long-term capability within the state through recruitment, knowledge transfer and career development opportunities for engineers, tradespeople and construction professionals. The high-voltage infrastructure solutions company is also working to support the next generation of industry talent through opportunities for graduate engineers, apprentices and emerging professionals. CPP’s immediate priority is continuing to strengthen relationships with clients, delivery partners and key stakeholders, while growing its locally based team.

“We’re already on the panel of every major transmission network service provider across Australia,” Clarke says.

 “We look forward to building a strong relationship with Western Power and supporting future grid infrastructure projects across WA.”

Following the Australian Energy Market Operator’s projections for WA, which shows sufficient generation capacity through to 2028-29, CPP is confident that the need for skilled people, strong delivery partnerships and expanded transmission infrastructure will only grow.

“It’s a pivotal time for the WA energy sector. The level opportunity in the state is significant. We’re excited to contribute to what comes next,” Clarke says.