Katanning Energy part of newly formed Community Renewable Energy Alliance of Towns and Enterprises

A new peak body for community-driven renewable energy projects held its inaugural meeting last month at a workshop in Bridgetown. The group, CREATE, comprises community groups and people from towns ranging between Geraldton and Denmark, including the Great Southern’s Katanning Energy, and seeks to support, develop and implement community-based renewable energy initiatives in an effort to achieve localised power production independence. Renewable energy initiatives can be in the form of wind farms, solar farms, hydroelectricity generators, and biogas production plants. “By signing up to CREATE, Katanning Energy joins forces with other towns in the South West who are actively pursuing local renewable distributed energy products,” Katanning Energy said. “The purpose of the workshop was for Katanning Energy to share their experience and knowledge of the issues and challenges they face in trying to develop a local energy project and infrastructure. “The group looks forward to advocating for and progressing community energy resilience.” Information shared and gathered at the Bridgetown workshop, particularly in relation to issues arising in the renewables industry in WA in regards to new Western Power policies, are being tabled in a report to be submitted to the Government and key stakeholders. The workshop was co-organised with Murdoch University, the Harry Butler Institute and Curtin University’s Energy Humanities Initiative, and was supported with funding from Energy Policy WA, Murdoch University, the Harry Butler Institute, and a private donor.