Newsletter

Woohoo for 2022!

by Kristy Walters

See you later, 2021! What a doozy of a year.

We’re so proud of the way you and the rest of the community energy sector has forged on despite the evolving covid pandemic, displaying resilience and focus on your projects through what were (and continue to be) some really tough times. Following on from 2020, last year demonstrated the immense value of community spirit.

This 2022, we’re hopeful will bring many more opportunities for us all to get together, progress our goals and achieve great things along Australia’s path to a fast and fair energy transition.

Read on for updates, new tools and highlights from last year:

  • Repower update
  • Power in numbers
  • Training socially responsible developers
  • New mapping tool
  • Welcoming our newest team member – Xavier
  • CPA in the media

We hope you all had a renewing holiday break, with the opportunity to catch up with friends and family.

From the whole CPA team at our virtual AGM below (where some of our team could get together in person!) –

Elizabeth, Tom, Kim, Kristy, Jarra, Fran, Nicky, Ella and our newest team member Xavier!

Repower Our Communities update

We’re campaigning to establish 50 Community Power Hubs across regional Australia to provide critical on-the-ground support for locals to develop and invest in their own renewable energy projects, such as solar gardens and community wind farms.

You may remember that in 2021 community energy champion Helen Haines, Independent Member for Indi, included the 50 hubs into her Australian Local Power Agency Bill.

Last year, CPA helped coordinate over 800 submissions to the Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy from 121 (out of 151) electorates, from community groups to companies, individuals with rooftop solar and national peak bodies.

On 27 August, the Committee heard from councils, community leaders and energy experts in a public hearing – including speakers from Farmers for Climate Action and Community Power Agency. The message was overwhelming – people want a greater share of the renewables boom for their communities.

But the Bill’s success in the Parliament is far from secured. We know Community Power Hubs are the next critical step in supporting the growth of the community energy sector – and we think this kind of practical and pragmatic policymaking can appeal to leaders across the spectrum of Australian politics.

Will you support us and make 2022 the year community energy became front and centre in the minds of your local state and federal politicians? With the federal election approaching, now is the perfect time to contact your federal MP and get our plan on their election agenda.

Kristy and Xavier are starting the new year by mobilising community energy groups around the country, building coalitions of support for the campaign, and collecting stories of success to make community energy even more visible to regional leaders and decision makers.

Join us in making Community Power Hubs a key election promise in 2022.

Email your MP

Power in numbers

Do we have your community energy group’s most up-to-date information?

In our 11th year we have big plans to support you and the community energy sector through compelling storytelling and effective lobbying, but we can’t do that without evidence.

Fill out this 60-second form and we’ll get in touch so we can leverage your group’s efforts and work together for better community energy outcomes in 2022.

Update your info

Training socially responsible RE developers

In December we delivered the final session of ‘Socially Responsible Renewable Energy Development‘, a first-of-its-kind professional development short course in partnership with the Yunus Centre at Griffith University.

20 renewable energy practitioners from a range of backgrounds completed the 8-week course, which featured 11 sector leading guest speakers and practical on-the-ground knowledge and tools about community engagement and benefit sharing models.

“This course is a timely and positive contribution to the industry.”
Andrew Dyer, Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner

Learn more about their experiences and register your interest for the course in 2022.

Read more

New rooftop solar tool


We have great news for communities across regional NSW. The Australian Photovoltaic Institute (APVI) has developed a new tool to help Councils and their ratepayers discover the savings they can make with solar power.

SunSPoT is a sophisticated, simple-to-use tool and unlike other online solar calculators, it assesses the angle and orientation of the roof, any shading impacts across the day and through the year, local weather data, as well as energy use and costs in the house or building. It’s reliable, independent and user details are not recorded or shared.

SunSPoT can determine the best positioning of a solar system on the roof, the kW size and expected installed PV system cost, annual savings and emissions avoided.

They have used the SunSPoT tool to map more than 40 local government areas across the state. We think SunSPoT is a great way for budding community energy groups to assess potential sites for roof-top solar projects! Find out more at apvi.org.au/sunspot.

Welcome Xavier!

Our newest member Xavier Mayes joined the Community Power Agency team in November. Xavier comes from to CPA from the UTS Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF), and has a background in strategic communications, media relations and community engagement from a professional career spanning the film, university and NGO sectors. He is a founding volunteer director of the Blue Mountains Renewable Energy Cooperative (BMRenew) and holds a Masters of Sustainability and Climate Policy through Curtin University.

“I’m beyond excited to be working with the good folk at CPA. For the best part of a decade I’ve been involved with the community energy sector. I had the good fortune to meet CPA co-founder Nicky Ison in 2012 while running a regional renewable energy roadshow with the Nature Conservation Council of NSW. After her talk, I was hooked!

Xavier is working on the Repower Our Communities campaign alongside Kristy, so look out for an email or phone call from him (or beat him to the punch and get in touch first).

When he’s not working you’ll find him mucking around with his kiddos, baking, gardening, or playing futsal (indoor soccer)!

CPA in the media

Throughout 2021 we were out in the media, helping to reframe the energy debate, showcase community energy projects and advocate for better policies.

Here are some recent highlights.

ABC Science: ‘Community energy’ may be the answer to regional prosperity under ‘net zero’. This town wants to give it a go

Renew Economy: ‘Explainer: Labor plans 85 “solar banks” to open up to renters. What are they?‘

Sydney Morning Herald: ‘Tenants and apartment owners to benefit from new solar power scheme’

ABC: ‘Solar gardens’ may be the answer for renters and apartment-dwellers locked out of renewable energy’

Until next time have a great start to 2022!

Community Power Hubs WIN
News

Huge news for Victoria – Community Power Hubs

by Kristy Walters

A quick email in light of the recent announcement to expand the government funded Community Power Hubs program in Victoria. What a win!

Exciting times are ahead for community energy projects with this boost of funds and capacity potentially across all regions of the state. We are keen to connect with community energy groups and supportive organisations to ensure these hubs are the best they can be.

We have a lot of experience in the governance space and are happy to offer pro bono group facilitation advice and networking to develop successful collaborations to apply for these Victorian Hubs. Next Thursday we are running a free online session about good collaborative governance, email us for the details.

If you’re a community energy group or other organisation that would like to be involved in one of the Hubs – either to be a Lead Partner, offer your organisation’s support or to add your implementation ready project to a Hub application – please get in touch. See other community energy groups on our community energy map here.

For everyone else not in Victoria – join the campaign to Repower Our Communities – to win Community Power Hubs in every state and territory of Australia!

Here’s to taking the power into our own hands,

Kristy

For the whole Community Power Agency team – Kim, Ella, Elizabeth, Fran and Jarra.

https://www.repowerourcommunities.org.au/
News

Mid-winter Newsletter – Unfurling

by Kristy Walters

We are well and truly in the thick of things, learning, exploring and growing our networks, resources and projects both within Community Power Agency and for all the wonderful groups we have the pleasure of connecting with.

  • Learning – new resources for community energy available, some interesting webinars for North Queenslanders and extending our support for Indigenous communities,
  • Exploring – in the Riverina with face-to-face events for the Haystacks Solar Garden project, facilitating a Community Benefit Sharing Initiative and potential new projects,
  • Growing – a grant opportunity and meet our newest, smallest and cutest Community Power Agency fan!

Read on for all the details,

All the best from all of the team at Community Power Agency

– Kristy, Kim, Ella, Elizabeth, Fran, Tom and Jarra

Community Power Hub Resources

If you have been following the three Community Power Hubs in Victoria you’ll know they produced an amazing amount of achievements including 15 community energy projects financed and commissioned which resulted in 1.35MW of renewable energy capacity installed and savings of $364,000 in electricity bills each year.

In fact within the two-year pilot period the program generated more than $14.5 million of value, creating a 13-1 leverage on the government investment for the program. They have now uploaded many of the resources produced at the Hubs to share the learnings with the whole community energy sector – find all the resources here.

Transition Webinars for North Queensland

Our good friends at The Next Economy are hosting a series of public forums to explore the impact that changes to the energy system are having on regional communities across Queensland.

If you’re connected to communities in Townsville or Cairns join the online webinars to learn about the types of energy projects that are happening locally, and what’s needed to ensure a secure, affordable and accessible energy supply. A mapping exercise will be facilitated through groups in a separate break out session to explore new opportunities for their region. Kristy will be speaking at both events giving an overview of changes to the energy sector.

Building a Stronger Economy for Cairns Forum on Friday 31st July: More details and to register here

Townsville Energy Transition Forum on Friday 7th August: More details and to register here

Black Lives Matter

Spurred by the killing of George Floyd at the hands of US police, the past few months has seen the Black Lives Matter movement build rapidly across the world. This topic is just as relevant in Australia with our own racial injustices and police violence toward the First Nations people of this land.

One way Community Power Agency is standing in solidarity with the First Nations people is by Paying the Rent. For this past year we will donate 1% of our surplus to Indigenous led organisations, moving to 1% of our total income from next year.

There are many ways everyone can show your support and solidarity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islands people – check out the comprehensive resources The Commons Library has pulled together here.

Solar Gardens for all

This week Kristy and Nigel from Pingala are heading to the Riverina for some in-person community meetings and catch ups with folks we’ve only met over the phone for the Haystacks Solar Garden. If you’re near Narrandera or Wagga Wagga come along to have a chat about the project on Saturday 18th July – more details and to register visit the Haystacks website.

We are also excited to share that Pingala, our project partner for the Haystacks project has started developing a future solar gardens project pipeline. If you or your group are interested in participating in a solar garden and you live outside the Riverina area, let them know via the Pingala website here.

A pioneering community benefit sharing initiative!

The 720MW New England Solar Farm grid connection agreement has been finalised!With this news the feasibility and implementation phase of UPC’s Community Benefit Sharing Initiative (CBSI) is now commencing. Upon community request, we were thrilled to be invited back to Uralla in early July to facilitate the first of a series of workshops with the newly established Community Reference Group to deliver this next phase of the CBSI.
Jarra and Fran had a wonderful time supporting the initial development of the CBSI in 2018 which resulted in an options paper outlining the communities recommendations. Now Ella and Fran are continuing this pioneering project, supporting the feasibility and implementation of the CBSI guided by the options paper and the community reference group.

Grant opportunity for bushfire affected communities

The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) is offering grants of up to $25,000 to support local not-for-profit organisations and community groups that are delivering locally led projects and activities to assist people in their recovery as a result of the 2019/2020 bushfires. The program seeks to fund projects including:

  • Community infrastructure and equipment that strengthens volunteer community groups and their activities;
  • Emergency equipment and facilities (excludes individual aid);
  • Mental health and wellbeing; and
  • Rebuilding communities – from infrastructure repairs or upgrades, to governance, capacity building or operational support.

Applications close on 5 August 2020 – head to their website for more information

Our newest fan!

We are sending all our best wishes to Jarra and Jai for the most recent addition to their family – Brinawa Allison Hicks.

He is named after a little tributary to the Ellenborough River near to their home.

All three are doing well at home and we look forward to meeting him soon!

News

Silver Linings – Autumn Newsletter

by Kristy Walters

As autumn starts to cool into winter and we progress into what feels like months working from home, I’ve noticed a few silver linings.

While the transition to online events makes for less rich and personal connections it does mean many more people can join in the conversation from right across Australia.
(It also means I get to sleep in as I’m not commuting in Sydney!)

Three events coming up for the community energy enthusiasts among you:

  • Have your say on the National Community Energy Plan
  • Gippsland Smart Future Webinar Series
  • Community-scale batteries webinar

Details on how to participate in each are below.

Here’s to using the disruption of COVID19 to build a better future!

Take care,
Kristy & the whole CPAgency team

Helen Haines launches National Community Energy Plan

Independent MP for Indi in Victoria Helen Haines recently launched a National Community Energy Plan – and she wants you and community energy groups across Australia to co-design it.

We know that Australia could be a renewable energy superpower and community energy has significant potential to deliver real benefits particularly to regional Australia creating jobs, income and opportunities.

But it won’t happen without a plan, that’s why we’re supporting Helen Haines and her team to co-design a plan with community energy advocates across Australia.

Have a read of the discussion paper and make a submission.

Participate in the upcoming workshops on:
– Friday 22nd May at 12pm
– Wednesday 3rd June 7pm

Details for submissions and workshops in the Have Your Say Section on the plan website.

Gippsland Smart Future Webinar Series

Thanks to COVID19 what was going to be an in person event has turned into a free webinar series so it’s open to all. Tune in to hear what’s happening in Victoria’s Gippsland region on renewable energy.

Topics include:

  • Local Community Energy Hubs (20th May)
  • Township Models of Community Energy (3rd June)
  • Financing Community Energy Solutions (17th June)
  • Community Energy for Sporting Clubs (1st July)
  • Home Energy Solutions (15th July)

For more information and to register head to their website

Community Scale Batteries webinar

The Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program at ANU is doing some timely research on community batteries and they are now teaming up with the Energy Security Board, AusGrid and Total Environment Centre to run a webinar on their findings.
They pose the research questions: What is the potential for community-scale batteries and what is holding us back from these projects taking off.

Find out more in this webinar next week.

Thursday 21st May 9:30am-11am
Register and details here

– Until next time, the Community Power Agency team:

Fran, Tom, Elizabeth, Ella, Kristy and Kim

Newsletter – October 2019

by Tom Nockolds

Dear Community Energy Enthusiasts,

Letting go, transitioning and celebrating change as the days get longer – we are well and truly amidst the growth of springtime!

  • Letting go – Yes its true and sad and wonderful at the same time… Nicky Ison is moving on from CPA!
  • Transitioning – Welcoming new members and powering on!
  • Celebrating – The potency of people power with this weeks launch of the #SolarforAll Campaign! 
  • Growing – A new community energy group joins our movement!

Read on for more.

From all of us at the (transitioning, growing and celebrating) Community Power Agency team!

Jarra, Nicky, Fran, Tom, Elizabeth, Ella and Kristy!!