25.08.25
For immediate release
The release of the Victorian Transmission Plan has been welcomed as a much-needed step forward for clarity and certainty in the state’s shift to renewables - but in an open letter released today, community, environment and industry groups say urgent investment in Local Energy Hubs is needed to build trust and ensure regional benefits are delivered.
More than 50 organisations spanning the eastern seaboard have today issued an open letter to Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, urging the Federal Government to urgently fund a network of Local Energy Hubs across Australia.
From community groups to peak environment and industry bodies, the signatories are united in their call for a practical solution in rural and regional communities where renewable energy projects are being proposed or built, often without adequate information or support.
RE-Alliance, Community Power Agency and Yes2Renewables have been calling for the Federal Government to fund Local Energy Hubs across Australia, a proposed network of outreach centres staffed by locals to assist communities navigating renewable energy and transmission projects, while helping local households, businesses and farms to lower their energy bills and electrify.
Wendy Farmer from Voices of the Valley in Gippsland, Victoria, said: “Local Energy Hubs will build community trust in renewables, turning confusion into confidence and sparking community led change, making the energy shift work for everyone”.
While 70% of people living in renewable energy zones support Australia’s shift to renewable energy, that support is highly conditional. The open letter argues that Local Energy Hubs are essential to building trust and unlocking the full benefits in the shift to renewables for regional communities.
“Australia has a real opportunity to be a global leader in renewable energy, and that starts with supporting the regions that are powering the country. That means ensuring communities have the guidance, information and support they need to navigate this energy transformation, and secure the benefits that will flow to workers, homes and businesses," said Justin Page, Hunter Jobs Alliance Coordinator.
"Local Energy Hubs can provide that trusted, practical support to help our community with everything from household electrification - all the way to making the most out of the big projects.”
The organisations warn that given the complexity of the change ahead, what happens in the next five years is critical. Without urgent government action to fund Local Energy Hubs, the shift to renewable energy will not happen at the speed and scale required, putting at risk both community support and Australia’s broader clean energy goals.
“We've been working in regional communities at the centre of Australia's shift to renewables for more than a decade, clearly articulating the case for Local Energy Hubs for more than two years,” said RE-Alliance National Director, Andrew Bray.
“We keep hearing the same thing: we need clear, trusted information and practical support and we can get that through the Local Energy Hubs model. Without it, the rollout of renewable energy will keep running into delays, cost blowouts and opposition. Everyone has a stake in getting this right.”
The full open letter and list of signatories is available here.
Contact details:
Eleanor Buckley
M: 0407 613 231