RE-Alliance and the Community Power Agency, two organisations working for more than a decade with regional communities navigating large-scale renewable energy projects, have welcomed the detail provided by the Chair of the Net Zero Economy Agency, Greg Combet, on the remit of the Net Zero Economy Authority in this week’s National Press Club address.
Mr Combet prefaced his address by sharing that he was tasked by the federal government to “develop a plan that will help people and communities through change” and clearly articulated that large-scale renewable energy generation is “fundamentally important” to transform the economy away from fossil fuels to clean energy.
Andrew Bray, National Director of RE-Alliance, said regional communities could greatly benefit from the rollout of renewable energy infrastructure – provided governments and industry committed to sustained and significant investment in community engagement.
“Greg Combet has outlined that people and communities need to be at the heart of Australia’s shift to an economy powered by clean sources like wind and solar. Working with regional communities for more than a decade, we’ve been talking to the federal government about the need to communicate more actively about our shift to renewable energy – so we are pleased to see that the Authority will have a focus on doing exactly this,” Andrew Bray said.
Jarra Hicks, Director of the Community Power Agency, said the government should invest in Local Energy Hubs across Australia. “We need to help communities feel a part of this change. Local Energy Hubs have the power to take people from being confused bystanders to active participants getting direct benefits,” Dr Hicks said.
“Imagine if you could speak directly with someone you know and trust, who could help you to understand new energy infrastructure and what it means for your community – from electrifying your home appliances, to setting up a community energy project, to working with large projects to make sure there are good local jobs and benefits,” Dr Hicks said.
More information on Local Energy Hubs can be found here.
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