Community renewable energy groups from across the lower South West meet in Katanning

Lower South West community renewable energy groups plan to create a white paper to outline to the State Government their concerns about red tape slowing down energy sector developments. The first meeting of key stakeholders was held in Katanning on August 18, where groups agreed to form an alliance of regional CRE projects that would feed into a stakeholder workshop in November. The groups hope this workshop, to be held in partnership with Murdoch University, will help outline issues and concerns of the community energy sector, particularly when dealing with government regulations and legislation which becomes an obstacle to these projects. Pemberton’s community energy group, Clever CLOGS, sent group’s spokesperson Rose Ferrell to the meeting. She said the meeting was the beginning of a much longer negotiation with government. “Victoria has had great success in facilitating and enabling community energy projects,” she said. “Given the acceleration of climate change, it is certainly time Western Australia caught up in this regard.”