The WA government has switched off a power station to conserve the state's coal supplies. 

State-owned utility Synergy says it has taken Collie Power Station offline for three months “to further build its coal stockpiles”, amid growing fears about the security of WA supplies.

WA Energy Minister Bill Johnston says the Australian Energy Market Operator requested the power station be taken offline as a precautionary measure.

“West Australians shouldn't be any more worried about blackouts this summer than any previous summer,” he said. 

The Collie Power Station generates about 7 per cent of power in the WA’s main power grid.

Synergy says the power station could be brought back online quickly if requested.

“Synergy has strategically and temporarily taken Collie Power Station offline to assist in further building its coal stockpiles,” a spokesperson stated.

“Synergy has a fleet of gas and coal generation assets across the South West Interconnected System that allow for flexibility. These assets often run below capacity and can increase their generation output if needed.”

The company is confident it will meet the demand for power over summer.

“Synergy has a fleet of renewable assets including wind farms and a solar farm through its investment vehicle, Bright Energy Investments,” the spokesperson said.

“Synergy is very experienced in managing supply and demand across its assets and is confident it can  ... [meet] demand over the summer period.”

The state has plans to exit the coal-powered energy market in 2030.