Today the Community Engagement Review by Australia’s Energy Infrastructure Commissioner (AEIC) was released, with Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen accepting the recommendations “in principle”.
Lines attributable to Andrew Bray, National Director of RE-Alliance
“The review provides a nuanced discussion of the issues communities and developers face as they manage energy infrastructure development processes.
“The Commissioner’s detailed exploration of communities’ experience of renewable energy development is valuable and long overdue.
“While we support the Commissioner’s recommendations, more concrete and ambitious actions will be required to solve the problems he has rightly identified.
“State and Federal governments are spending billions to attract investment in renewable energy, but financial investment in building trust in the process will be just as important.”
ENDS
For interviews please contact Andrew Bray on 0434 769 463.
Editor’s notes
RE-Alliance is a community-based not-for-profit working to secure an energy transformation that delivers long-term benefits and prosperity to regional Australia. We start with the needs of local communities, collaborate with industry to deliver social outcomes, and advocate for meaningful benefits for regions through government policy.
Andrew Bray has been the National Director of RE-Alliance since 2013. In that time, Andrew has built the organisation to become the leading voice advocating for regional communities in issues around the energy transition, especially transmission, community benefit sharing and addressing impacts on local communities. In 2021, Andrew was awarded the Clean Energy Council's Outstanding Contribution to Industry Award for his long-standing work in these areas. Based in one of New South Wales' prime wind districts, the Southern Tablelands, Andrew is passionate about the contribution renewable energy can make to rural and regional economies while helping Australia transition to a cleaner future.
