Communities could drive the switch to clean energy

A senior researcher at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS) has claimed that Australia will continue to lag behind other countries in heeding the UN’s call to switch to clean sources of energy - unless the burgeoning community energy sector is allowed to thrive.

According to Nicola Ison, from the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures, community‐owned renewable energy generation can stimulate regional development, provide more resilient and inexpensive energy security and contribute to Australia’s climate mitigation targets.

“A growing number of communities, including local councils, are recognising this; however, there are significant regulatory and institutional barriers that need to be overcome,” Ison said.

“In the United States, more than 1500 wind farms are owned by communities across 27 states, and in Germany, customers own two-thirds of all renewable energy generated.

“Councils, as large energy users in local communities and facilitators of local action in their own right, can play an increasingly important role in this transition.”

The City of Sydney has recognised the potential of community energy in their roadmap to move the city towards 100% renewable energy by 2030. According to Lord Mayor Clover Moore, “Empowering communities to develop their own local, renewable energy projects will help deliver more clean energy.”

“When preparing the city’s Renewable Energy Master Plan, the community told us they wanted to play a bigger role in delivering our target,” Moore explained. “That is why we are so supportive of programs that help residents, businesses and landowners install and own renewable energy.”

Community‐owned models of power generation are popular in regional areas overseas. The renewable energy village Wildpoldsried, Germany, generates over 300% of the electricity it needs from a mix of wind, solar PV, biogas and hydro power plants.

Mayor Arno Zengerle, instrumental in the village’s 10‐year transition to self-sufficient renewable energy, will visit Australia to encourage Australian towns to achieve the same success. Zengerle will give a keynote speech at the inaugural Community Energy Congress, which will bring together community energy groups from around the country for the first time.

The congress, to be held in Canberra over 16-17 June, aims to address the large gap in support for community energy between other countries and Australia, especially in the areas of government policy, such as early-stage grants and supportive grid connection arrangements. The event aims to bring together all the key players in the emerging Australian community energy sector.

Attendees will have the opportunity to:

• hear inspiring national and international speakers and case studies;
• build relationships and networks with those who work in community energy in Australia, including people from mainstream energy networks, retailers and renewable energy businesses as well as government and community energy project leaders;
• discuss how community energy can be used to promote sustainable regional development and renewable energy sector development in Australia;
• participate in interactive sessions on renewable energy technologies and community energy business models;
• learn more about energy regulatory and policy processes, reforms and opportunities;
• provide input to the Community Energy Strategy for Australia including helping to identify and refine strategies to grow the community energy sector across Australia;
• help launch and join the Coalition for Community Energy (C4CE);
• develop the essential skills needed to grow and sustain a community energy project.

Early-bird tickets for the Community Energy Congress are available until 21 April, or register a group of four or more people from one organisation to receive a 15% discount. For more information and registration, visit http://c4ce.net.au/