Renewable energy is a crucial step towards self-determination
Deaundre Espejo argues for energy democracy.
Doomadgee’s 1.26 MW solar farm. Source: RFI Solar
In remote North Queensland, deep in the Gulf of Carpentaria, lies the Aboriginal community of Doomadgee. It has a population of around 1300, 90% of whom are from the traditional homelands of the Gangalidda and the Waanyi people.
Like many remote areas in Queensland, Doomadgee has faced challenges with maintaining reliable power. Because they are not serviced by a major electricity grid, relying mostly on faraway diesel power plants, the town has been plagued in the past with blackouts and low-voltage issues.
Last year, however, they received some good news — the Queensland Government committed to funding a project to bring more solar power to Doomadgee.
Over the next year, the town saw upgrades to its solar farm as well as the installation of rooftop solar panels across community buildings. Today, more than 15 per cent of Doomadgee's power is provided by renewable energy, more than any other remote Queensland community.
Cr Jason Ned, Ganggalidda and Garrwa man and Mayor of the Doomadgee Aboriginal Shire Council, announced that these developments are not only better for the environment but will save the Council about $20,000-$30,000 in electricity costs each year.
More importantly, for a community which has experienced generations of dispossession, locally-owned renewable energy is important for their ongoing fight for self-determination.
Australia’s centralised power systems
For decades, Australia’s energy sector has operated on a centralised model, where large-scale plants distribute power to communities through transmission networks.
This is because fossil fuel power lends itself to centralisation — it’s difficult to fit a coal-fired power station in your backyard.
As a result, a small number of large companies provide the vast bulk of our electricity needs. In 2019, Origin Energy, AGL and EnergyAustralia, known as the ‘big three’, dominated residential electricity and gas markets, particularly in New South Wales (81%) and South Australia (72%).
Loy Yang Power Station, Australia’s largest brown coal-fired thermal power station owned by AGL. Source: The Australian
“This ownership scheme overwhelmingly favours electricity generation for the sake of profit and growth, instead of human and ecological realities” write Dr JJ McMurtry and Mumtaz Derya Tarhan.
“Meanwhile, those who are most directly impacted by the destructive elements of the electricity sector, namely community members and workers worldwide, are excluded from ownership and circles of decision-making”.
Indeed, while Origin Energy racked up $14.73 billion of revenue last year, people in remote areas pay unaffordable electricity bills for inadequate energy security.
Giving power back to the people
Recently, the concept of ‘energy democracy’ has received growing attention. The idea envisions the switch to renewables as not only a technological substitution, but also a catalyst for social change.
While the extraction and burning of fossil fuels generates stark inequalities of power and wealth, renewable energy can provide more locally-based systems that enable individuals, households and communities to own and manage their own energy infrastructure.
In Australia, energy cooperatives are beginning to provide a tangible example of energy democracy.
These are non-profit electricity companies that are owned by the members they serve, follow democratic processes and allow members to participate in decision making to ensure sustainability and stability within their community.
Central West NSW Cooperative, for example, secured a $3.5 million grant from the New South Wales government earlier this year to develop a 11.5 hectare solar park in Orange.
The project will substantially reduce energy costs, generate enough power for 2,150 homes, and displace 8,500 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. It will also create up to 50 jobs during the construction period and 2-3 permanent local jobs.
“Membership in a co-operative is open to everyone in the region.” said Alan Major, managing director of company Energy Democracy, which assists communities like Orange build energy cooperatives. “We are particularly focused on assisting those who are disenfranchised in Orange and the Central West region through their inability to install solar on their roof.”
Members are also taught how to use their energy more efficiently — any savings they make on electricity can be traded back to the cooperative, which then decides how they are to be distributed in consultation with its members.
Ultimately, energy democracy redefines individual consumers as energy producers themselves, ensuring fair access to clean energy as well as promoting energy conservation.
“This approach calls for reclaiming the energy sector and shifting political power” write Matthew Burke and Jennie Stephens. “In particular, energy democracy seeks to empower low-income communities and communities of colour, embracing the idea that those most marginalised are well-positioned to envision and lead towards different energy futures.”
Self-determination through community energy
Currently, the ability to upscale community energy projects to larger cities is still being tested. But for now, smaller-scale projects provide much hope for Australia’s First Nations communities.
When State governments moved towards the privatisation and deregulation of electricity in the 90s, it sparked a rapid expansion of fossil fuel projects on Indigenous land. In Australia, 83 percent of new investments in electricity generation between 2002 and 2006 were in coal-fired and gas-fired power stations.
Because of fossil fuel extraction sites, drastic climate conditions, and rising energy costs, many people living on Country have been forced to migrate to cities.
Residents of Birany Birany in celebrating the installation of a renewable energy system in 2012. Source: Centre for Appropriate Technology.
For the children growing up in these spaces, systemic racism and lack of connection to Country contributes to the ongoing cycle of intergenerational trauma.
But installing renewable energy is one way that we can give power to those people.
“Setting up a community energy project allows us to live back on Country.” writes Eddie Turpin, a descendant of the Mbarbaram people. “We can raise our children on their land and give them a cultural upbringing that allows them to understand who they are and where they come from.”
Not only will localised energy allow Indigenous communities to stay afloat, it will allow them to thrive. The money generated from local jobs created can be spent on other projects that will further increase employment and community capabilities.
“We’ve been working on Ranger programs, food production and other farming opportunities.” Eddie says. “All our Mob have incredible skill sets that when combined with resources and income will be able to create sustainable community outcomes, independence and self-sufficiency.”
Community energy doesn’t automatically mean fair outcomes
The switch to community-owned renewables in itself does not necessarily lead to fair outcomes.
As more households disconnect from the grid and the demand for traditional energy sources decreases, it would likely push up the cost of electricity for households still on the network. This would particularly impact those that can’t afford to switch to renewables or live in units where it is not physically possible to install solar or battery storage systems.
Therefore, we must ensure that we are prioritising the communities that need it most, and that they are being granted the proper infrastructure needed to transition.
Governments have a large role to play in this process. Cooperatives are largely reliant on government support to get projects across the line, particularly in relation to financing.
Therefore, governments must continue to fund the development and implementation of community renewables, as well as implement regulatory changes to increase investor confidence. Measures such as community energy standards, codes and price regulation would minimise the risks that come with investments in these projects.
And finally, it is important to recognise that in the few cases when large energy companies meaningfully invest in renewable projects, they often still adopt a centralised and for-profit model.
As we push for a greener economy, we must strive for community energy ownership and decision-making as much as possible, ensuring that Indigenous people are participating in and benefitting from renewable energy projects on their land.
Harnessing the social change potential of renewable energy will not only lead to a green future, but will redistribute power back to people and communities. And for Indigenous Australians, this is a crucial step for self-determination.