New Zealand Forum for Local & Community Energy

You are cordially invited to our Forum for Local and Community energy. Come join us to talk about how we can achieve broader and deeper engagement of consumers, local authorities, Māori and community organisations in energy efficiency, renewable heat and power generation, storage and ancillary services in New Zealand!

The schedule:

10.00: Showcasing kiwi community energy projects: we learn about what they do and why, the challenges they face. With:

Phil Squire, Sustainability Trust; Sumaria Beaton, Awarua Synergy; Scott Willis, Blueskin Resilience Trust, P2POWER; Gael Ferguson, Energise Otaki; Phil Malpas, Coastal Energy; Rawinia Kamau, Eastern Bay Energy Trust.

11.50: Interactive panel on the wider regulatory and market context, where it currently pinches local and community energy action, and where it is likely to create opportunities. With:

Greg Sise, EnergyLink; Gareth Wilson, MBIE; John Hancock, Chair of Electricity Authority’s Innovation & Participation Advisory Group; Maria Bargh, Head of Māori Studies Victoria University of Wellington; Janet Stephenson, Otago University Centre for Sustainable Development.

12.50: Lunch/Kai

13.50: We hear from the PPI project team about what we can learn from policies and regulatory reform for local & community energy elsewhere in the world.

14.20: The day ends with an open discussion on strategies for community energy in New Zealand, including how energy policy can be designed to support regionally specific social and economic needs.

15.00: Close

Please register by 25 July to avoid disappointment as we have limited spaces available. We look forward to seeing you there!

Anna Berka (Energy Centre, University of Auckland), Julie MacArthur (Department of Politics and International Affairs, Energy Centre, University of Auckland), Steve Matthewman (Department of Sociology, University of Auckland), Maria Bargh (School of Maori Studies, VUW) and Stephen Poletti (Department of Economics, Energy Centre, University of Auckland)

Any queries? Contact a.harnmeijer@auckland.ac.nz or +64211875546.