Clean Energy For Eternity was established in 2006, and since then we have been working hard to establish community solutions to climate change. We have been raising awareness with our human signs and landscape sculptures. We have been changing attitudes with LifeSaving Energy and our Big Swim series. We are embracing economic opportunity with our 50/50 by 2020 targets, and we are looking at bigger picture stuff with our community owned power stations. 50/50 by 2020 5 shires in SE NSW have now adopted a 50/50 by 2020 target. This target, driven by strong community support, has had bipartisan government support at local, state and federal levels. We are the first region in Australia to set a challenging emissions reduction target, with Mike Kelly setting an aspirational 50/50 by 2020 target for the electorate of EdenMonaro. That puts our region into a position of leadership. It hasn’t always been easy for local government to support a target, but there is growing realisation that leadership on climate change presents SE NSW with enormous economic opportunity. The 50/50 by 2020 target is achievable. A solar bulk buy deal currently in operation, will see up to 1 MegaWatt of solar panels put onto roof tops by the end of the year. That’s a good start.
With the proposed wind farm on the Monaro, the CoomaMonaro and Bombala councils will probably be the first shires in the southeast to produce more electricity than they use. That is an exciting concept! SnowyHydro contiues to pump renewable energy into the grid, year after year. These are exciting times. We are turning the threat of climate change into opportunity. We are off to a flying start with the 50/50 by 2020 target, and we haven’t even began to look at wave and biomass energy. EdenMonaro could become a net exporter of renewable energy by 2030! Clean Energy for Eternity aims to help the community understand the challenge of climate change and global warming, and to provide information and support to encourage grass roots action in response to the global crisis facing us all. We are a group of concerned individuals on the far south coast of New South Wales volunteering our time and effort to address climate change. Over a decade ago communities in Bega, Eurobodalla and Snowy River Shires were successful in getting their Councils to adopt local targets of 50% energy reduction and 50% renewable energy by 2020. Voluntary working groups in these areas as well Sydney’s Northern Beaches have helped us to work towards achieving these targets. In 2019 the Tathra and Bega communities have set themselves the task of being 100% renewable by 2030
Our tactics:
Think Tank – generate ideas, proposals, policies on community-owned clean energy actions
Engage People – provide opportunities for people from all walks of life to lend an hand in making a difference on climate change
Awareness – promote high profile symbolic events that raise the profile of climate change and encourage positive change
Information – produce regular articles and interviews for local newspapers and radio, encourage public forums, debates and talks at schools
Funding – support relevant organisations and community partnerships to pursue funding options for clean energy projects(sourced 5/1/2022 from https://cleanenergyforeternity.net.au/about-cefe/cefe-profile/)
Clean Energy for Eternity’s mission is:
To see everyone in the electorate engaged in a conversation about clean energy issues once a week.
To raise the level of community knowledge & enable access to reliable information about clean energy issues.
Promote & stimulate relevant bodies to take appropriate action to reduce energy use and develop local clean energy generation projects.
Ensure that voters are informed on candidates’ policies on clean energy for each election.