EARTHCHAT: The "power" of co-ops, a case study from Goulburn (NSW)

Listen at noon, Tuesday 28 April on Seymour FM or anytime as a podcast.

What if regional communities owned their own power instead of multinationals? What if that power came from reliable renewables, instead of fossil fuels controlled by foreign powers and at risk to global geopolitics? What if locals got the dividends instead of big companies?

The Goulburn Community Energy Co-operative in NSW (GCEC) is doing exactly that, all through the power and ownership of their own co-operative. Originally conceived in 2014, and supported by a feasibility study in 2016, the GCEC was formed in mid-2020 as an investment vehicle to produce and sell local, solar-powered energy. Anyone in the local region can invest in this project, receive a return on their investment, and be part of a community-led initiative to reduce Goulburn’s carbon footprint by producing electricity in their own region.

Community energy projects are financed and owned by the community, who control, manage and operate the project. The community also share in the profits. There are many variations in Europe and the USA, and while it is a relatively new concept in Australia, there is now increasing interest in the idea.

Interested? On EarthChat this week, we will be exploring the power of the GCEC - and all co-operatives - with Michael Pilbrow who lives and works in the Yass Valley, NSW. Michael is a passionate advocate for rural and regional Australia. Michael has 16 years’ experience in supporting cooperative development. He co-founded the National Health Cooperative, Australia’s largest primary health-care co-operative, with around 32,000 active members. Michael has supported co-operative development and advised consumer and producer groups across a range of sectors in regional Australia, including aged care, childcare, sport and agriculture. Read more here: The co-op connecting everyday Australians to the renewable energy revolution - BCCM and here: Home - Goulburn Community Energy Cooperative

Tune in, it will be enlightening, empowering AND inspiring. If it can happen in Yass, it can happen here.

EarthChat on 103.9 FM at midday, Tuesday 28 April. Here is Seymour FM's website. 

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