Australia: Solar for First Nations communities? Where?
May 25, 2024 9:03 PM Subscribe
10,000 Aboriginal households in the Northern Territory go without power. Prepaid meters leaving households disconnected
For around 10,000 Aboriginal households in the Northern Territory, mostly in remote areas, getting power and keeping it on can be a difficult task.
Because power is run through a prepaid smart meter, power cards need to be purchased from the local store or online and swiped on to the meter. If you don't have money on your meter, it simply cuts out.
This means consumers don't have the same regulated protections against energy disconnection as those living in urban areas or on post-paid billing systems.
10,000 First Nations households.
"The government's Remote Power System Strategy is aiming to achieve an average of 70% of the energy in the 72 Indigenous Essential Services (IES) communities coming from renewables by 2030."
That's 6 years.
Meanwhile, Gina Rinehart & friends doubled their fortunes in 3 years during the pandemic.
Because power is run through a prepaid smart meter, power cards need to be purchased from the local store or online and swiped on to the meter. If you don't have money on your meter, it simply cuts out.
This means consumers don't have the same regulated protections against energy disconnection as those living in urban areas or on post-paid billing systems.
10,000 First Nations households.
"The government's Remote Power System Strategy is aiming to achieve an average of 70% of the energy in the 72 Indigenous Essential Services (IES) communities coming from renewables by 2030."
That's 6 years.
Meanwhile, Gina Rinehart & friends doubled their fortunes in 3 years during the pandemic.
Thanks so much hearhere for the mention of Woman at War - was unaware of this movie, and looking forward to watching!
Re: greenwashing - Minderoo is the brainchild of Dr Andrew Forrest aka twiggy - who comes in at #2 on the billionaire farmers ranking in Australia. I was unaware of the indigenous employment index, and it makes for excellent comedy considering the history of these companies and their violations.
If you're not familiar with the splendor of the article "Meet Australia’s Batshit Insane Mining Billionaires", it's a pleasure to extend the fanbase.
posted by gusset at 4:27 AM on May 26 [1 favorite]
Re: greenwashing - Minderoo is the brainchild of Dr Andrew Forrest aka twiggy - who comes in at #2 on the billionaire farmers ranking in Australia. I was unaware of the indigenous employment index, and it makes for excellent comedy considering the history of these companies and their violations.
If you're not familiar with the splendor of the article "Meet Australia’s Batshit Insane Mining Billionaires", it's a pleasure to extend the fanbase.
posted by gusset at 4:27 AM on May 26 [1 favorite]
Australia in general has some of the best rooftop solar programs in the world. I wish the article had more details on why the Northern Territory is finding it such a regulatory problem to enable their people to install solar. The best explanation I could find the article was this quote
The other problem implicit in the article is poverty. Folks are pre-paying for $50 of electricity at a time and can barely afford that. Solar doesn't magically solve poverty, the panels are an enormous investment expense. But social policy can help solve that, using public funds to subsidize solar investments. Is that a thing in Australia, in the NT? Are there particular solar investment programs for aboriginal people and areas?
Mentioned in the article, the NGO Original Power
posted by Nelson at 8:13 AM on May 26 [2 favorites]
The real hold up is not in any of the technical issues of the integration, it's that the utility provider isn't considering how retail energy customers should be able to access rooftop solar.But many of the other Australian states and territories have figured this out, is there something special about the Northern Territory?
The other problem implicit in the article is poverty. Folks are pre-paying for $50 of electricity at a time and can barely afford that. Solar doesn't magically solve poverty, the panels are an enormous investment expense. But social policy can help solve that, using public funds to subsidize solar investments. Is that a thing in Australia, in the NT? Are there particular solar investment programs for aboriginal people and areas?
Mentioned in the article, the NGO Original Power
Original Power is a community-focused, Aboriginal organisation that builds the collective power of our people and backs our leadership, skills and capacity to genuinely achieve self-determination in our community and on country."Power" for the organization primarily means political power but clean energy programs are a primary way they are working to empower people.
posted by Nelson at 8:13 AM on May 26 [2 favorites]
But many of the other Australian states and territories have figured this out, is there something special about the Northern Territory?
It's almost certainly compatibility with the pre-paid electricity meters in place in many of these communities that's the problem. Also, when you privatise the retail sale of energy, you create a disincentive for the adoption of solar+battery systems. When the NT has only one retailer you have a for-profit monopoly, which is hardly a good environment for social equality.
Apart from the ongoing issue of governments wanting to pretend Aboriginal people don't exist, there's a very obvious case for installing solar+battery into these communities, either as a central system feeding each home, or stand-alone systems for each home. These communities are not grid-connected for the most part and rely on diesel generators for electricity. The cost of installing solar would surely be recouped fairly quickly if it could totally replace the generators, surely? These communities are in just about the best possible place for using solar and it's crazy to be burning diesel to generate electricity in these places in 2024.
posted by dg at 6:33 PM on May 26 [2 favorites]
It's almost certainly compatibility with the pre-paid electricity meters in place in many of these communities that's the problem. Also, when you privatise the retail sale of energy, you create a disincentive for the adoption of solar+battery systems. When the NT has only one retailer you have a for-profit monopoly, which is hardly a good environment for social equality.
Apart from the ongoing issue of governments wanting to pretend Aboriginal people don't exist, there's a very obvious case for installing solar+battery into these communities, either as a central system feeding each home, or stand-alone systems for each home. These communities are not grid-connected for the most part and rely on diesel generators for electricity. The cost of installing solar would surely be recouped fairly quickly if it could totally replace the generators, surely? These communities are in just about the best possible place for using solar and it's crazy to be burning diesel to generate electricity in these places in 2024.
posted by dg at 6:33 PM on May 26 [2 favorites]
A group called Together New Orleans is organizing the Community Lighthouse Project, which would equip churches and other prominent local buildings with solar panels so that they can be charging and cooling hubs after a hurricane. Several buildings have already been equipped.
The idea is to be less reliant on a wobbly central grid, permanently, and I think it's got applications all over the world.
posted by Nibbly Fang at 7:54 PM on May 26
The idea is to be less reliant on a wobbly central grid, permanently, and I think it's got applications all over the world.
posted by Nibbly Fang at 7:54 PM on May 26
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are there ways to ensure something like a ‘guaranteed basic energy transmission’ by connecting listed companies & Minderoo’s statement of purpose “proudly Australian”, as renewables advance? or will Minderoo just be known for greenwashing?
posted by HearHere at 10:21 PM on May 25 [2 favorites]