Law and Management

Centre for Sustainable Regional Communities

Energy Futures in Regional Australia: Sharing Innovations in Renewable Energy and Carbon Pollution Reduction Opportunities

8-10 November 2009
Bendigo - Australia

As a follow up to the successful Renewable Energy conference held in 2007, and in response to the continued impact of climate change and increased pressure to identify alternatives to conventional energy sources, the City of Greater Bendigo and La Trobe University have continued their partnership and will present a conference aimed at defining the energy futures for regional Australia and highlighting the opportunities and solutions in this developing industry.

Future energy issues for regional communities revolve around the growing uncertainty of continuing supply via alternative and renewable sources. Taking advantage of carbon pollution reduction opportunities requires an understanding of financial issues, including taxation and access to markets. Current national policy is in a state of flux and change given several intersecting factors: the diminishing of supply of fossil fuels - reflected in the cost of petrol; community demands for government action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - reflected in the Rudd Government's Green Paper in response to the Garnaut Report as they move to introduce a carbon pollution reduction scheme; and the lack of a comprehensive market-based system to encourage investment in alternative and renewable energy sources at the required scale to produce rapid uptake of these sources relative to current fossil fuel-based energy use.