The newly published Draft National Strategy for Community Energy helps to articulate what this fledgling sector requires to achieve its full potential. A summary of the strategy has been released to participants of the inaugural Community Energy Congress, occurring 16-17 June in Canberra. It was developed through a national survey of 38 community energy projects and a series of interviews with key stakeholders to identify objectives and priority initiatives for five target growth areas:
- Facilitating community energy models
- Funding and financing
- Capacity building
- Building community, government and industry support for community energy
- Policy and regulatory reform
The whole morning of the second day of the Congress (Tuesday) will be a facilitated, interactive process with all participants, including renewable energy developers and government representatives, to discuss feedback on the draft to evolve it to a final strategy. An opportunity now exists for insights from all aspects of the sector to be included in this transformative document. This is one Congress event not to be missed. From 9am-12pm at Old Parliament House. Be there.