The First Nations Clean Energy Network wishes you a happy and safe holiday period with your family and mob. As the year comes to a close, let’s take a moment to reflect on the network that we’ve built together. 

From community wins to new opportunities, this year has shown us that backed by the strength of our Members and supporters, the First Nations Clean Energy Network can drive real change. 

We now have over 1,000 First Nations members (individuals and organisations) and 3,500 supporters sharing our journey to ensure First Nations’ participation in and benefit from Australia’s clean energy transition.

With your support, we’ve had so many achievements that there’s way too many to choose from, so we’ll highlight just a few. 

• Assisting in the launch of the first First Nations-led and 100% owned Marlinja microgrid in the Northern Territory, bringing First Nations clean energy equity partnerships in Australia to 18 and counting
• Another incredibly successful First Nations Clean Energy Symposium led by mob for mob, and delivered in partnership with the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation and National Native Title Council
  
• The next cohort of clean energy leaders making their mark through PowerMakers 2024 with the next PowerMakers capacity building program for 2025 already in the planning
• Lots of behind-the-scenes advocacy and engagement work mandating industry and governments address First Nations outcomes in the Capacity Investment Scheme and Future Made in Australia frameworks, among others
  
• The development of a great resource with the launch of our Community Energy Planning toolkit for communities starting the clean energy conversation towards solutions
  
• Turning our Best Practice Principles for Clean Energy Projects into Leading Practice Principles - a handbook for what's expected from industry – with the Clean Energy Council and KPMG
• Launching our Powering First Nations Jobs in Clean Energy report at Parliament House showing pathways to employment and training for mob, and what can be done right now to make a difference
  
• Our fabulous Steering Group continues to guide our journey while getting real traction in the clean energy sector 
• And all energy ministers endorsement and release of the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy in December 2024, with a $70 million start-up investment.
  
  

The First Nations Clean Energy Strategy is a signal to our communities that the barriers and opportunities to realise our clean energy aspirations have been heard.

Many of our people are still living off grid, relying on expensive, polluting diesel. And those in urban and regional social housing are yet to enjoy benefits of more affordable clean power. 

Implementing the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy means we can power these homes with renewables, switch out diesel generation, increase energy efficiencies and build in climate-resilient retrofits, and develop local workforces.

The First Nations Clean Energy Strategy could be one of the biggest opportunities for economic development for our people in our lifetime.

We want to ensure our Traditional Owner groups are lifted up and our First Nations organisations and businesses are resourced so that we can self-determine the role we play in the energy transition, including being proponents in our own right, as part of the project design process, as project partners with equity and benefits shared and a seat at the table, and with free prior and informed consent (FPIC) enabled.

There is clear evidence that First Nations-led projects correlate to higher levels of wellbeing, and reduced risk, cost and delay. 

Canada knows this, with nearly 20% of electricity generation infrastructure including First Nations, Metis and Inuit entities as owners, partners or beneficiaries. 

Australia’s ‘18 and counting’ First Nations clean energy equity partnerships are likely to accelerate in number during 2025, with significant benefits shared with First Nations people and communities along the supply chain.

That is our aim and our focus next year, that the Strategy realises economic development opportunities in the home, in communities, and on country for generations to come. 

We look forward to working together with you to achieve even more to ensure First Nations participation and benefit from the clean energy transition. 

Not yet a member of the First Nations Clean Energy Network? Join us here