Labor reveals community renewable energy plan

The Australian Labor Party has announced its plan for community renewable energy, promising to spend almost $100 million on creating up to 10 Community Power Hubs across the nation. The party says its network of power hubs will boost jobs and facilitate the installation of small-scale renewables projects, enabling every Australian to benefit from renewable energy, wherever they live.

The party has praised Australian households for taking up the opportunity of installing renewable energy systems like rooftop solar panels, providing a boost for manufacturers and installers across the country. But it also acknowledges that there are a significant proportion of households that have previously found it too difficult to access rooftop solar and other small-scale renewables, including those who live in rental properties, public housing and apartment blocks.

A Labor government will therefore provide $98.7 million toward the creation of up to 10 Community Power Hubs in the areas of most need, which will deal with the challenges of implementing renewable energy solutions. The hubs will work with local communities to support the development of renewable projects by providing legal and technical expertise as well as start-up funding. Examples of projects that could be eligible include:

• ‘solar gardens’ or shared arrays of solar panels for groups of renters;
• retrofitting of existing social housing to promote energy efficiency;
• community wind farms;
• working with social housing and aged care providers on solar rooftop installations.

The plan has been welcomed by the Community Power Agency (CPA), with founding director Nicky Ison describing community power as “win-win-win”.

“It is good for local economies [and] the environment, and can help address social issues such as energy affordability,” she said.

“The combination of 10 Community Power Hubs and competitive grants will support community energy in Australia to follow in the footsteps of countries like Germany, where 47% of all installed renewables is owned by citizens and communities.”

The Community Power Network and Regional Hubs policy is said to draw inspiration from the Community Powerhouses policy outlined in GetUp! and Solar Citizens’ Homegrown Power Plan, of which Ison is a co-author. The Community Powerhouses policy envisages a network of 50 Community Power Hubs, supporting local energy projects across Australia for a decade.

“We look forward to seeing an extension and scale-up of the ALP’s Community Power Network after a successful first four years,” Ison said.

The CPA is currently leading a grassroots election campaign, Smart Energy Communities, calling on all political parties to get behind community energy and on government to kickstart new community energy projects.