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We heard from some organisations who are working in a regional areas where the local community are experiencing the complexity and polarisation of the transition to renewable energy sources. Others are looking to bring their community together and find common ground on an agreed path forward.
As we reviewed proposals from across the eastern seaboard – we started to build a picture of the issues and opportunities being faced by so many regional communities.
What we did discover is that the shift to renewable energy sources is well and truly underway and conversations have already progressed from “should we move quickly towards renewable energy sources”, to “how are we going to move and what will be the benefit for me and my community?”
In our process to find a suitable partner, we read and heard about many different regional communities who are being impacted by the Energy Transitions. We heard from organisations located in declared ‘Renewable Energy Zones’ (REZ) who told us about how their community is becoming polarised and confused, not knowing where to find trusted information and facts.
We also spoke with organisations and communities who are physically outside of a REZ but are experiencing similar issues and tensions. The difference for these communities is that they face them without any of the formal support and resources that are provided to communities in Renewable Energy Zones.
We talked with smaller community groups who are deeply passionate about their local area. They are acutely aware of the impact that the energy transition is having (or about to have) and are often frustrated with not knowing who to engage with and what difference they can make.
We also spoke with councils and regional authorities who were very keen to hear from and involve their communities in the energy transition, but struggled with where to start, who to invite, and the geographical boundaries for those who are impacted, interested or affected.
Whilst each potential project was uniquely different, here are a few striking similarities that are worth sharing:
It is clear that citizens and communities want to be heard, engaged and involved in the Energy Transition. Communities and authorities want to see greater diversity and more everyday people being brought into the conversation to shape their futures. We heard how important it is that both decision makers and communities listen to and consider the wide range of lived experiences, local perspectives and minority views, before they come to agreement/judgement.
Many organisations told us that the credibility of information is key to a successful dialogue, especially on complex topics like ‘renewable energy’. People are simply losing faith in who to trust and where to get credible information from. We know how important credible data and evidence is when making tough decisions, that’s why the engagement process we design with our regional project will provide a diversity of views and opinions, including a list of potential ‘experts’ that the community can choose from themselves.
Communities told us that they are tired of being spoken to individually, often pitched against each other (including when farmers are having individual conversations about compensation for hosting new infrastructure). We heard a common need to lift-up the energy transition conversation from “how can I benefit”, to a more holistic, sustainable and regional context to “how can everyone benefit”. It is clear that individuals and communities want to come together to discuss the opportunities for their entire community, ensuing that “everyone benefits”.
Regional communities can see the potential that the energy transition can bring. Many rural communities are already shifting away from traditional industries (eg coal, forestry) and therefore facing a fundamental shift in identity and economic stability, that will define them in the years to come. Interestingly, eco-tourism was mentioned numerous times as a huge opportunity for regional communities to examine and explore. However, this increases complexity to these new conversations, by asking communities to balance the natural environment (which they value deeply) with the impact of new/built energy infrastructure required.
It was heartening to hear that organisations and communities are all seeking long–term planning. Put simply, they want to look beyond the quick wins (still important though) and be an integral part of developing a long-term plan. This particularly applied to communities located in Renewable Energy Zones, who are at the forefront of community engagement right now. It was also acknowledged that whilst long term plans need to be that, long term; they still need to be reviewed, measured and updated regularly.
The desire for a unified community voice was common across our conversations. Communities told us they wanted to come together, find common ground and develop a unified voice on behalf of the community. They want to engage beyond individual projects, and have conversations on regional priorities, community values and principles for engagement.
Another common theme we heard across all regions and potential projects, was about providing energy (electricity) directly to impacted communities. It made sense to many, that impacted communities should be able to request and receive improved power reliability and resilience, especially for those living in remote areas. As one person put it “If we generate and/or transport it across our land, then it’s only fair that we get a bit of it”.
Planning is about to start with our regional partner (read more here), and our Expression of Interest process has given us a number of key insights into what our regional communities value and how they are experiencing the roll out of renewable energy. This experience reminded us that communities, both within and outside Renewable Energy Zones (REZ), face challenges such as polarisation, lack of credible information, a desire to focus on long term planning and the need for inclusive dialogue.
We also know our communities bring with them a huge amount of passion, are open to new opportunities and are looking for a unified community voice to support and shape the transition to renewable energy. Our upcoming regional project aims to address these issues by empowering diverse communities to participate in the movement towards renewables in their area. In doing so we hope to bring communities and industry together to help achieve sustainable change.
We hope you will follow along and we can demonstrate how well this can be done!
If you want to learn more about how we can help you, we’d love to hear from you. Simply send us an email and we’ll be touch soon.
DemocracyCo’s work is undertaken on the lands and waters of Australia’s First Nations people. As we collaborate together, democracyCo looks to our First Nations people, the worlds oldest living culture, for guidance that will help sustain our connection to Country and inform the work that we do to bring people together. Our work is in service to Reconciliation and to moving forward together.
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