The shift to renewable energy is not just a technological feat. It is one of the most significant social changes regional Australia has navigated in decades…
In this article Eleanor Buckley explores the results of her research in rural Australia on how people feel about the energy transition. She points to some of the wonderful work by Community Power Agency and Manilla Solar Farm. And then she recommends we follow the UK and its Local Power Plan:
“Last week, the UK launched its Local Power Plan, committing up to £1 billion to community and local energy, with an ambition that by 2030, every community will have the opportunity to own a local energy project.
This is not a niche idea. Community energy is already a meaningful part of the energy mix in countries such as Denmark, Germany and the United States. In Denmark, for example, the Promotion of Renewable Energy Act has required that at least 20 per cent of new wind projects be offered to local community ownership since 2008. Community participation isn’t an afterthought, it is embedded in policy.”
Image Credit: Photo of Haystacks Solar Farm provided to Renew Economy by the wonderful folk at Community Power Agency
