2024 Community Energy Congress Update!

We have some significant news to share regarding the upcoming Community Energy Congress in 2024.

We’ve decided to alter our original approach and have joined with the Smart Energy Council next March. We will be the community partner for the Smart Energy Council Conference and Exhibition, the ‘Smart Energy Expo’. This means the Congress will now be held in Sydney at the International Convention Centre, on the 6-7th March in 2024, not in Newcastle a few days earlier as originally planned.

Much thought has gone into this and we are planning an event that honours the ethos of previous Community Energy Congresses, bringing the community energy sector together, to collaborate, learn and also highlight the importance of our sector. The collaboration with the Smart Energy Expo will give Congress participants the chance to have access to the many people and organisations that are a part of the Expo and also give community energy a profile with the Expo’s thousands of delegates.

We have a new theme, Fast, Fair & Vital, reflecting the key role that community energy will play in the accelerating move to clean energy. Stay tuned in coming weeks for more information.

The Congress will be action packed, full of thought-provoking discussions, engaging workshops, and impactful networking opportunities. Pre-register your interest here to receive updates and be the first to know when tickets are available!

Fast, Fair and Vital – introducing our Congress theme

Between Electrify Everything and Big Energy, community energy has a key role to play in energy transitions right now. The 2024 congress theme is Fast, Fair & Vital:

FAST

Community action and household transformation are already the fastest part of energy transition in Australia, leaping ahead of the large-scale infrastructure projects that are materialising but will take time to be accepted and built.

Renewable energy is mainstreamed through millions of local economic decisions and attitudes at the community level. That cultural change, and the social approval associated with it, is key to reaching 2030 emissions targets – community energy is imagining and forging a new and clean energy future.

FAIR

Across the political divide people care about their communities. Resilience, equity, safety, affordability and ensuring everyone benefits from our future energy system are key priorities.

Communities are impatient to see projects that embody those values. Community participation is essential for delivering a fairer system, social cohesiveness and for building social approval of a renewable future.

VITAL

Resilience: Establishing a robust system iscritical to cope with increasing disruptions and extremes. Distributed energy projects, like community batteries and resilience hubs, provide those qualities, ensuring faster recovery and service continuity, so communities can function despite more frequent challenges.

Stability: The accelerating rate of energy transition at the household scale will place strains on the  electricity grid. Projects typically undertaken by community energy are well placed to support the local
network. They are important vehicles for network stability as well as resilience.

Approval: The energy investments we need, across the large and decentralised elements of energy supply and use, will not happen quickly without widespread social approval. Community energy has a crucial role in leading conversations about energy futures.

Help us deliver the Community Energy Congress

Help us “Energise Everyone” by coming along and encouraging others to join us as well. After an unprecedented 7-year hiatus due to the challenges posed by COVID-19, it feels timely for the community energy sector to reconvene with our supporters from government and industry.

You can help

  • We are still looking for sponsorship – If you know a business also supporting the energy transition make an introduction to us via email.
  • We are trying to reach as many people working in community energy as possible – please spread the word amongst your networks and get everyone to make sure they are signed up to our mailing list.
  • We are recruiting. Membership is free for community energy groups so if you know of a group that is not on our list, encourage them to become a member. You can see how we are tracking on the map below.
  • Put the early bird announcement on your socials – grab some copy here or follow our socials below so you can easily share.
  • …and of course, get in early and buy your tickets.

2024 Community Energy Congress announced – save the date!

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