Through staffed offices and outreach programs including engagement with remote communities, Local Energy Hubs will be equipped to perform a range of functions.

Information

• Trusted local faces, including physical shop-front and mobile outreach supporting regions to navigate the ocean of information available
• Tailor key information and engagement to local context, using appropriate local channels
• Provide research and information in response to local concerns, needs and interests.

Intermediary

• Making sense of a busy Renewable Energy Zone/ renewable energy developer engagement space with many actors
• Supporting local government leadership and facilitating cross-sector collaboration, for example, to enable regional benefit-sharing and workforce preparedness
• Facilitating collaborations that minimise consultation fatigue, for example focussing on key multi-project issues such as workforce accommodation, education and training, construction issues

Capacity building

• Supporting local stakeholder preparedness and understanding 
• Energy literacy and renewable energy project education
• Maximise uptake of government loan and incentive programs through increased awareness and support to apply

Expertise

• Fund feasibility studies for bespoke local electrification, energy efficiency, community energy, on-farm applications
• agricultural extension officers
• In-house expertise (via national coordinating body)

Grantmaking

• Establishment of new grant schemes and connection with existing grant opportunities including grants for feasibility studies, community energy projects, on-farm and SME electrification and decarbonisation

Our ask is that the Federal Government fund the establishment of Local Energy Hubs across rural and regional Australia.

To fully fund a national network of 50 Local Energy Hubs and their coordinating body, Energy Hubs Australia, at the scale required to make a material difference in the lives of regional communities, we estimate the Federal Government will need to invest around $150 million annually for 10-15 years. This is the resourcing required to have several staff in each Hub with funds for grant programs and engagement activities.

Each Local Energy Hub would run some of the below programs, as determined by regional priorities, which will be identified and mapped through consultation with key local stakeholders. Not every hub would run every program.

Regional energy plans

In tandem with local governments, Local Energy Hubs will identify regional energy priorities and develop regional energy plans. Plans will determine the strategy and priorities for the Hub, as directed by community needs, ambition and long-term vision for renewable energy in their community, environment, social and economic life. This will help to make the energy shift relevant for people at a regional level in a way that is responsive to their context. It will include identifying energy priorities from household, to community, to industrial scale.

Household electrification & efficiency upgrades

Rooftop solar, household batteries, electric vehicles, upgrades to cooking and heating systems and energy efficiency are a big part of the energy transition.

Local Energy Hub programs will help households and businesses understand clean energy options, and reduce their energy bills.

In doing this, Local Energy Hubs will also play a role in improving the uptake of existing state and federal energy incentives and programs.

Community energy projects

Community energy projects increase the accessibility of renewables for low-income households.

Local Energy Hubs will have the resources to run feasibility studies and provide expertise to support the establishment of new community renewables projects. 

Maximising First Nations engagement and benefits

Local Energy Hubs can play a role in supporting First Nations’ self-determination by working with local First Nations organisations and communities to ensure local needs and aspirations are being realised in the shift to renewables. Whether that involves applying for grants to build solar projects, supporting remote communities getting off expensive diesel, negotiating land use agreements with large-scale project developers, or pursuing co-ownership models and enterprise.

This capacity could be resourced by directly funding officers within local Indigenous organisations as well as locally tailored programs run by Local Energy Hubs.

Clean energy for agriculture

The agriculture sector is one of our largest emitters. At the same time, on-farm power bills are huge and farmers have some of the biggest gains to make if they can electrify or find alternative energy sources. 

Every farm is different and Local Energy Hubs can help farming businesses create decarbonisation plans by providing expertise and access to feasibility studies for unique agricultural applications. 

Engagement with large-scale renewable energy projects and transmission lines

Hubs can play a role in untangling industry jargon for communities set to host large-scale wind, solar, storage and transmission projects. Hubs would be a one-stop shop for information on all local projects. Hubs could assist with streamlining engagement across multiple projects in a given region, and promote opportunities for local input into consultations.

Jobs, procurement and training 

Local Energy Hubs can play a role in identifying skill gaps and opportunities for local businesses to train up. This could be done for example by maintaining a regional skills and workforce register.

Better community benefit sharing

Community Benefit Sharing involves agreements between large projects and local communities about how communities will benefit from the project in some way, often by providing grant funding.

Local Energy Hubs can help local communities understand what to expect so they can work towards long-term outcomes for their community. For developers, this will result in more strategic benefit sharing in line with community needs and expectations.

Energy literacy

The energy system is complex and it’s getting more so. Local Energy Hubs will run information sessions and provide literature on various aspects of our energy system, the shift to renewables, the need for grids, and how local communities can prepare and be involved. Part of this role could be providing a drop-in centre, having stalls at regional events, running workshops, holding talks about specific aspects of the energy transformation, and Q&A sessions.

Communicating regional priorities to governments & industry

Local Energy Hubs would act as a conduit between communities and governments that will ensure decision-makers understand in an ongoing way, the challenges, opportunities and  gaps in the resourcing and coordination in key regional communities in the shift to renewables. This information will be critical to inform policy and investment decisions to the benefit of local regions.

For industry, Hubs would provide locally informed, clear expectations on how local communities would like to be engaged and participate in large-scale project plans. Hubs will help to reduce engagement fatigue through locally appropriate engagement planning. Hubs will also be able to facilitate introductions and networking, to assist developers with their work building relationships with the community they will be doing business in.

In designing and implementing Local Energy Hubs it is important to note the work being undertaken currently by the Federal Government and the First Nations Clean Energy Network to develop the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy to ensure First Nations people help drive and realise self-determination in the shift to renewables.

There is potential for a role for Local Energy Hubs in supporting the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy, for example by resourcing local First Nations organisations as they navigate negotiating with renewable energy developers, improving energy affordability and resilience for communities, and look towards opportunities for ownership of energy projects.

Each Local Energy Hub will address different contexts with different needs – there will need to be a tailored approach to ensure the right functions are staffed in the right places. For example, some regions will benefit from more experts on decarbonising agricultural energy uses; others may benefit from a team of outreach officers focusing on getting remote communities off diesel, and others on navigating the complex nature of a Renewable Energy Zone.

We are proposing that Local Energy Hubs be resourced with at least 5-8 staff each with a mix of the following roles as appropriate to the local context:

• Hub lead to foster key relationships for collaboration across the region, government and industry
• Outreach/engagement officers to help regions with all their energy related questions from “how can I lower my energy bills?” to “what will happen when the wind turbines need to come down?” 
• Agricultural extension officers to support farming businesses with general legal advice around renewable energy contracts and/or electrification strategies
• Program officers to ensure low-income and multicultural sections of the community are benefiting from the switch to renewables
• Environmental officers to help regions and industry identify creative ways renewable energy projects can contribute to local environments and species as well as mitigate impacts of development

Energy Hubs Australia would be established as a coordinating body to support the national network of Local Energy Hubs. Around 40 staff would be based in different parts of Australia and perform the following functions:

• Governance and strategy oversight of all Hubs (ensuring these are in place and functioning well)
• Liaison with state and federal Governments
• Staff induction and ongoing training for all Hubs
• Human Resources & accounting for all Hubs
• In-house land use, energy efficiency, community energy, legal and decarbonisation expertise to support local Hub activities
• Research and resource development in response to Hub needs
• Ongoing peer-to-peer learning capturing lessons from hubs’ activities and disseminating learnings across the network
• Monitoring and evaluation

The Local Energy Hubs program would include funding for the distribution of small, medium and large community grants, as well as support to enable communities to access grants available from other existing government initiatives (e.g. ARENA). 

Many communities are interested in community-based energy programs and projects, but they lack the support and funding to get started. For example, communities are interested in establishing community-owned solar farms, community batteries and virtual power plants, and increasing the accessibility of household solar and batteries for low-income people, renters and apartment dwellers. 

Community energy projects often lack access to funding for staffing and for feasibility stages – this is where grants are highly beneficial, but there is currently no grant program that is tailored to meet this need. Once community energy projects are proven feasible and have development approval, they are able to access capital finance through community share offerings. There is a strong track record for this across Australia, with projects such as Hepburn Wind, Haystacks Solar Garden and Goulburn Community Solar.

Grant programs can be tailored to suit different kinds of projects, including both innovative and replication models. Grant guidelines, application processes and reporting would be tailored to be accessible for small, community organisations, while being robust.

Our proposed Local Energy Hubs model has three grant streams: small ($5-25k), medium ($25-200k), and a revolving loans program for $200k+ projects.

Local Energy Hubs Australia would be a new not-for-profit established for the sole purpose of establishing and coordinating a national network of Local Energy Hubs.

Local Energy Hubs Australia will partner with local community groups, councils, Regional Development Australia chapters and other local entities to run local Hubs. 

In some cases, it may make sense to set up Local Energy Hubs directly instead of through a local partner. However, the preference would be to work with local partners who are already leading Australia’s renewable energy shift at the local level.

Our proposal for 50 Local Energy Hubs will prioritise rural and regional locations experiencing the most change from renewable energy. The below list is indicative only – the precise location of hubs will need to be subject to further engagement and feedback from Australia’s regions.

New South Wales 

• Armidale
• Walcha 
• Cessnock /Newcastle
• Mudgee
• Hay
• Wollongong
• Broken Hill
• Wagga Wagga 
• Narrabri 
• Moruya/Cobargo
• Northern Rivers
• Goulburn
• Tumut 

Victoria  

• Portland
• Horsham
• Ballarat 
• Bendigo 
• Mildura
• Shepparton
• Mansfield 
• Sale/Traralgon 
• Geelong 
• Yarra Ranges
• Mornington Peninsula
• Leongatha 
• Albury/Wodonga 

Queensland 

• Cairns 
• Townsville 
• Georgetown 
• Mackay
• Rockhampton
• Gladstone
• Biloela 
• Gympie 
• Toowoomba/Dalby 
• Barcaldine

South Australia 

• Whyalla
• Robertstown/Burra
• Port Pirie

Tasmania 

• Burnie
• Smithton
• Derby/Scottsdale
• Campbell Town

Western Australia 

• Collie
• Karratha
• Broome
• Merredin

Northern Territory

• Darwin
• Tennant Creek
• Alice Springs