Blog
What COP27 means for Australia’s energy transformation and our communities
November 24, 2022
International climate meetings often happen a long way from home, and it can be hard to see how they impact regional communities in Australia. So, what can we take from the 27th annual climate...
Read MoreCritical report brings community interests into transmission planning
November 23, 2022
RE-Alliance has welcomed the recent release of the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (the Commission’s) Final Report of Stage 2 of the Transmission Planning and Investment Review. We particularly welcome recommendations concerning improved transmission company...
Read MoreSubmission on the Tasmanian Guidelines For Community Engagement, Benefit Sharing and Local Procurement
November 18, 2022
This submission is to the Tasmanian Government’s Renewables, Climate and Future Industries Tasmania (ReCFIT) in regard to the recently released Draft Guidelines for Community Engagement, Benefit Sharing and Local Procurement (referred to as the...
Read MoreSubmission to the Transmission Planning and Investment Review - Stage 3 Draft Report
November 03, 2022
Download full submission. We thank the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) for the opportunity to comment on the Draft Report into Transmission Planning and Investment Review (TPIR)- Stage 3. We have several overarching comments....
Read MoreSubmission to NSW Government’s Draft Network Infrastructure Strategy
October 28, 2022
View full submission. We thank the NSW Government for the opportunity to comment on the Draft Network Infrastructure Strategy (NIS). We consider that the Draft NIS adds value and that it should in future...
Read MoreWhat does the Federal Budget mean for Australia's Renewable Energy Zones?
October 27, 2022
We are really pleased to see the amount of attention this budget gives to regions, workers, First Nations people and community energy. We would like to see more support for communities in Renewable Energy...
Read MoreNSW farmers to get pay rise for hosting new transmission lines
October 25, 2022
A new payment scheme for NSW farmers and landholders hosting transmission lines on their properties has been welcomed by RE-Alliance as a start to reward landholders for their critical part in the energy transformation....
Read MoreWhat Victoria’s new energy announcements mean for regions
October 24, 2022
– Tony Goodfellow, VIC/TAS Coordinator, RE-Alliance. Last week, the Victorian Government made some huge and welcome commitments for our renewable energy future, provided they are re-elected in November. State Electricity Commission In a historic...
Read MoreFederal government announces welcome funding for transmission projects
October 21, 2022
– Kate Healey, Policy Manager, RE-Alliance. The first announcements under the Albanese government’s Rewiring the Nation program were released on Wednesday and they are BIG!! So big, in fact, that Minister for Climate Change...
Read More'Farm Powered' – Opportunities for farmers and regional communities from renewable energy
October 13, 2022
Read 'Farm Powered: Opportunities for regional communities in the renewable energy boom'. Our energy and food systems are increasingly intertwined. But are we really designing these systems for maximum mutual benefit? And how do...
Read MoreRecommendations to the Federal Government on the design of the Rewiring the Nation Policy
October 04, 2022
October 4, 2022 A group of 30 environment and climate organisations have today released recommendations to the Federal Government on the design of the Rewiring the Nation Policy. Download the full paper here. The...
Read MoreA "renewable energy industrial revolution" – the Queensland Power Plan
September 28, 2022
– Lu Allen, Advocacy Manager, RE-Alliance, based in Cairns. Today marks a historic turning point for Queensland's energy system. Today, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the long awaited Queensland Power Plan, which she titled a...
Read MoreLocal leadership for our energy future – the Gippsland New Energy Conference
September 20, 2022
– Tony Goodfellow, Victoria/Tasmania Coordinator, RE-Alliance. Last month, I attended the inaugural Gippsland New Energy Conference (GNEC). It was the largest regional energy transition event in Australia to date. It couldn’t be more timely...
Read MoreA short course to help communities and renewable energy developers work better together
September 19, 2022
To build an energy transformation that works for everyone, we need renewable energy developers who know how to work well with communities. It’s crucial that developers have the skills to sensitively manage community concerns,...
Read MoreUndergrounding Humelink would triple the cost, Transgrid report finds
September 13, 2022
- Kate Healey, Policy Manager, RE-Alliance. To get to a net-zero future, we need to build an immense amount of new renewable energy infrastructure, and quickly. In particular, we need to build a lot...
Read MoreWhat renewable energy can deliver with First Nations leadership
September 05, 2022
– Tony Goodfellow, VIC/TAS Coordinator, RE-Alliance. I had the pleasure of recently attending the inaugural First Nations Clean Energy Symposium, ‘People, Country, Opportunity’ with RE-Alliance’s National Director Andrew Bray. We were honoured to attend...
Read MoreThe solar farm with sheep built in and great community engagement practice
August 22, 2022
Blind Creek Solar Farm in New South Wales has sheep built in and great community engagement practice – and it recently won an award for it. Blind Creek Solar Farm (BCSF) was awarded the Clean...
Read MoreEnergy ministers prioritise environment and regional communities in energy transition planning
August 18, 2022
Some momentous strides forward for our renewable energy future were made on Friday. Federal, State and Territory Energy Ministers had their second meeting under the new Albanese government. They formed a new National Energy...
Read MoreSubmission to the Victorian Transmission Investment Framework Preliminary Design Consultation Paper
August 16, 2022
We thank the Victorian Government for the opportunity to comment on the Victorian Transmission Investment Framework Preliminary Design Consultation Paper (VTIF Paper). We commend VicGrid on the substantial work that has been involved in...
Read MoreSubmission to the CWO REZ Access Rights and Scheme Design Positions Paper
August 12, 2022
Access schemes are a key part of the NSW Government’s plan to coordinate and encourage renewable energy and storage investment in Renewable Energy Zones (REZs). They are intended to enable efficient investment in generation,...
Read MoreDelays to building new transmission lines will see our power bills rise
July 19, 2022
Transmission lines are essential to get Australia to 100% renewables – they will connect us to cleaner, cheaper and more reliable power produced by wind and solar farms. We need to build lots of...
Read MoreWhen young people are listened to – Tasmania's Renewable Energy Coordination Framework
July 18, 2022
– Tony Goodfellow, Victoria/Tasmania Coordinator, RE-Alliance. Recently, and without much fanfare, the Tasmanian Government released the Tasmanian Renewable Energy Coordination Framework. Tasmania has an ambitious climate program with a legislated Renewable Energy Target of...
Read MoreSubmission to the Transmission Planning and Investment - Stage 2 Draft Report
July 13, 2022
Download full submission We thank the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) for the opportunity to comment on the Transmission Planning and Investment - Stage 2 Draft Report (the Draft Report). We note that the...
Read MoreChallenges for the energy transformation in Tasmania: Dr. David Meacheam’s reflections from the Tasmanian Energy Development Conference
July 07, 2022
Dr. David Meacheam, Tasmanian local, Cattle Hill Wind Farm community fund panel member. Last week, with the support of the Renewable Energy Alliance, I attended the Tasmanian Energy Development Conference in Devonport. I attended...
Read MoreWe need to speed up the shift to renewables. There are opportunities, and risks, for regional communities
July 05, 2022
Andrew Bray, National Director, RE-Alliance. Our current energy crisis has laid bare the risks we all face from our over-reliance on expensive and polluting fossil fuels like gas and coal. To safeguard our grid...
Read MoreAEMO’s Final 2022 Integrated System Plan increases the urgency of a renewable energy future
July 01, 2022
Yesterday the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) released its Final 2022 Integrated System Plan (ISP). The ISP is an integrated roadmap for the efficient development of the National Electricity Market (NEM) over the next...
Read MoreNew NSW Transmission Fund shifts transmission buildout up a gear
June 10, 2022
This morning, the NSW Government announced that it will invest $1.2billion on transmission and energy storage infrastructure to facilitate the development of NSW’s Renewable Energy Zones (REZs). This is an exciting and necessary step...
Read MoreEnergy ministers are back collaborating on Australia's energy future
June 09, 2022
On Wednesday, energy ministers from across the country gathered for the first time since their last in-person meeting in 2019 – and it was a very welcome sight. AAP Image/Steven Saphore Over the past...
Read MoreWhat the election result means for our energy transformation
May 26, 2022
Votes are still being counted, and some of the results of Saturday’s federal election are still unclear – but what is clear is that 2022 was the climate election. Australians want real action on...
Read MoreRE-Alliance submission for the NSW Renewables and Agriculture Review
May 24, 2022
Download full submission Both the energy and agricultural industries, essential to our livelihoods in Australia, are facing a rapid pace of change and many intersecting challenges leading into the next decade. In this context,...
Read MoreRecovering materials from solar panels — An emerging Australian success story in circular economy
May 17, 2022
Kate Healey, Policy Manager, RE-Alliance. At RE-Alliance we are often asked about end-of-life practices for solar PV panels. Today we can share some good news we learnt last week at the Clean Energy Council's...
Read MoreThe Latrobe Valley Authority lives on and should be a model for Renewable Energy Zones
May 05, 2022
Tony Goodfellow, Victoria/Tasmania Coordinator, RE-Alliance. The Victorian Budget provided for the Latrobe Valley Authority (LVA) is set to receive $7.5 million to continue its work. Although it would have been ideal to have a...
Read MoreWildlife corridors under transmission lines?
April 29, 2022
To reach 100%+ renewables, we need to build transmission lines to connect regions with high wind, solar & storage potential with the rest of our grid. These are huge, nation-building bits of infrastructure that...
Read MoreOne graph to rule them all: The latest IPCC report
April 14, 2022
The long-awaited latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report dropped last week: ‘Climate Change 2022: Mitigation of Climate Change.’ The report contains a summary of the science of mitigation, and is used by...
Read MoreNew paper highlights importance of community support in transmission planning
April 11, 2022
RE-Alliance welcomes Nexa Advisory’s Discussion Paper - Removing the Roadblocks to New Transmission to Achieve the Transition. The paper shows, while Australia moves on its journey towards decarbonisation, faster approval for transmission projects is...
Read MoreLocal support for St Patrick Plains Wind Farm: “It’s a no brainer, we have to do something about climate change and every little bit counts.”
March 31, 2022
Tony Goodfellow, Victoria/Tasmania Coordinator, RE-Alliance. In a sleepy part of Tasmania, where daily life is largely dictated by the rising of the trout, a new wind farm is on the cards. St Patrick Plains...
Read MoreSubmission to DPE on revised large-scale solar energy guidelines
March 01, 2022
Download full PDF submission. We thank the New South Wales Department of Planning and Environment (DPE) for the opportunity to input into the revised Solar Guidelines. Our goal in providing feedback is to encourage...
Read MoreEraring’s closure only increases the urgency of new transmission
February 18, 2022
The way forward for Australia’s energy system hinges on the success of a series of new transmission lines, which will link new renewable wind and solar farms to demand centres on the east coast....
Read MoreSubmission to DPIE on REZ access rights and scheme design: Central-West Orana Consultation Paper
February 15, 2022
Download full PDF submission Introduction RE-Alliance broadly supports the usage of access fees set out in the consultation paper. Our submission discusses how the usage of access fees can best contribute to the building...
Read MoreSubmission to AEMO's draft 2022 Integrated System Plan
February 15, 2022
Download full PDF submission RE-Alliance congratulates the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) on its Draft 2022 Integrated System Plan (Draft ISP). The Draft ISP is excellent news for those hoping to see a fast...
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