Minamisoma town meeting!

31 January 2014!

Fukushima youth delegation! March 2013!

Hepburn Wind!
"! First community owned wind farm built in Australia ! "! 2 turbines generating since June 2011, enough to power the town ! "! local response to global issue! "! harness the skills and capital of the community! "! focus on returning benets to community community enterprise model!

Hepburn Wind structure!

"! co-operative ownership! "! 2000 members, $9.8m contributed towards $13.5m project! "! leased agricultural land! "! electricity delivered to grid, sold to retailer Red Energy! "! $1m+ to community sustainability fund! "! prots to members! "! neighbourhood benet program: gift of shares, cheaper electricity! "! 3 local part time staff all woman executive, 7 board members!

Challenges of being the rst !

"! nding suppliers! "! raising capital! "! objectors! "! grid connection!

Planning and compliance "pre and post construction!

Our small wind farm experienced the same rigorous compliance conditions as larger wind developments.!

! electricity network! ! geotechnical! ! trafc management! ! shadow / icker! ! ora / fauna!

"! noise! "! bats / avifauna! "! cultural heritage! "! visual assessment! "! EMI!

Geotechnical & cultural heritage studies!

The role of community wind!

The Painting of Gale https://vimeo.com/66064431

Building support is an ongoing journey!

Pre generation! "! education : street stalls, bus tours, events, house visits, membership drives, capitol raising, community meetings! "! communication: ads in local papers, press releases, enews, social media! "! community approach: local focus, harness the skills and capitol of the community and upskill community members! You never stop building support! "! once the project is built: events, wind farm tours, AGMs, social media, Government submissions!

Current socio-political challenges!

Locally ! ! Federal governments repeal on price of carbon due mid 2014 = large revenue impact for our wind farm.! Regionally! ! In 2011 the Victorian State Government imposed the toughest wind regulations in the world has stalled larger wind development and community wind development.! ! Nationally ! ! Review of the Renewable Energy Target.! ! Politicians joining the anti-wind lobby call for further health studies / noise monitoring conditions.! ! Wind farm opposition stalling projects.! ! Role of media in propagating misinformation.!

Advocacy "supporting wind energy development !

VicWind bringing together communities, farmers, businesses and individuals who want more wind development for Victoria! ! Sharing the good news stories on wind! Yes2Renewables "focused on better policy conditions for wind in Victoria! ! building the prole of community energy as an alternative opportunity for communities who are facing coal seam gas development in their areas!

What is embark?!
"! Independent, non-prot, operates under Creative Commons for IP.! "! Online wiki resource to guide communities.! "! Building the community energy sector, social license and stakeholders.! "! Replicate the Hepburn Model for community wind.! "! Build a community solar model for other communities to replicate: 400kW system at Darling Harbour Sydney.! "! Action oriented, eliminating barriers, mentoring, seeks pro bono assistance for groups.!

Next generation of projects: wind!

"! Western Australia Denmark Community Wind 1.6MW project online in 2013. Freemantle Community Wind in early stages.! "! Victoria current policy changes have stalled 4 local projects. WISE and MACRenewables are hoping for change in state government in late 2014 to progress their projects.! "! NSW "New England Wind is progressing well, looking at community developer partnership.! Future trends "community developer partnerships, Ingen Flyers Creek and other projects to come in 2014.!
!

Next generation of projects: solar!

Many across Victoria, NSW, ACT, Northern Territory and Queensland, the most progressed projects are: ! "! Embark led Darling Harbour Sydney Community Solar. Part of Lend Lease consortium for the Darling Harbour exhibition centre redevelopment. Host signed and about to open for investment. To be built by 2016, 400kW system.! "! SolarShare Canberra "co-ownership model for community solar farms in the ACT. They have registrations of interest for investment at $1M and are securing host sites.! "! Clear Sky Solar Investments crowd funding model that has built the rst community-owned system of 15kW! Future trends: Local government and community partnerships, virtual net metering!

Collaborative networking!
"! C4CE "develop research, build capacity in the sector, lobby for better policy conditions, raise the prole of community energy! "! First project Fund Community Energy Campaign: community organising model, to lobby for a $50m fund to kickstart the community energy sector.! "! Next "national community energy strategy development and community energy congress June 2014 in Canberra!

Building support = demystifying wind energy!