Welcome to the very first post of my blog the Power Exchange!

The Power Exchange is dedicated to documenting my research project under the Gill Owen Scholarship which focusses on travelling internationally to study community energy policies and projects.

As an amuse-bouche (or 5) I thought I’d dedicate my first post to answering 5 questions that get to the heart of what this project is about.

What is the Gill Owen Scholarship?

In February earlier this year I was fortunate enough to be awarded the 2024 Gill Owen Scholarship by Energy Consumers Australia at their Foresighting Forum.

The late Dr Gill Owen has left a important imprint on Australia’s energy landscape from her work with the Australian Energy Regulator, Energy Consumers Australia, and multiple Australian universities.

This scholarship honours her contribution to empowering consumers and communities by supporting an energy professional to travel overseas to learn international policy perspectives and outcomes that could be relevant to Australia.

You can read more about the scholarship, including past scholars, here.

What is your chosen topic + where are you travelling?

I have witnessed first hand the transformative impact of community microgrids in underserved Haitian communities and see extraordinary opportunities for a just transition in Australia via community energy initiatives.

My scholarship application proposed interviewing regulators, project developers, clean tech providers, financiers, and advocacy groups across the United Kingdom to study their 20 year history of community energy policies and projects.

I aim to identify and articulate how the United Kingdom’s government co-ordinated a strategy for community energy, enhanced by smart energy technologies, and understand the wider energy ecosystem’s response to that strategy.

It is my hope that in analysing the learnings gathered I can identify clear opportunities and recommendations for a just energy transition enabled by smart community energy in Australia. While I anticipate the report to have national relevance, I am particularly seeking policy thinking and outcomes that are relevant to vulnerable First Nations communities.

In the words of Dr Owen’s husband David Green, Gill’s career was driven by the question: “What can you do to empower local communities to get control of their energy future?” With that in mind I hope my research topic honours Dr Owen’s legacy.

What are the project’s outputs?

I aim to interview approximately 30 national and international energy professionals over the course of the project. A final report with analysis, learnings, and recommendations will be peer reviewed and then published in early 2025.

Based on the report and supporting materials, a knowledge sharing strategy will be implemented in the first half of next year.

What is the project’s timeline and milestones?

The project will largely follow the below timeline.

• February-April 2024: Project kick-off + literature review
• April-May 2024: Study design + interview recruitment
• May-June 2024: UK tour
• July-October 2024: Virtual interviews, analysis + report writing
• November-December 2024: Peer Review
• December-March 2025: Report delivery + knowledge sharing
• March 2025: Project close

The Power Exchange blog is the best way to keep up to date on my progress. You can follow me on LinkedIn for updates.

What preceding research has inspired this project?

I have found the following resources to be critically informative:

• Best Practise Guides for Clean Energy in First Nations Communities – a suite of guides to help communities and project partners to codesign clean energy solutions
• Localised Energy in Regions – ECA funded Queensland Farmers Federation research mapping the appetite in regional Queensland for consumer owned microgrids, VPPs, and community batteries (led by yours truly)
• Local Power Plan – a detailed policy initiative proposed by Australian MP Dr Helen Haines to enable community energy
• Project LEO – a project trialling a local energy network in Oxford City
• Centrica Cornwall LEM – a project trialling a local energy market in Cornwall
• The Future of Distributed Flexibility – UK Government call for input about the role of flexible smart grids in achieving net zero

This project has been percolating in my mind for the better part of the last 4 years. I’m thrilled to finally document my journey via the Power Exchange and welcome your thoughts along the way!