During World War II the motivation to build weaponry was immense. Factories were retrofitted within months to make ammunition, guns and uniforms. “We can do the same thing with renewable energy”, says Derek Povel of Clean Energy for Eternity . “It’s ambitious but achievable”.

And to meet the 50/50 by 2020  goals it is necessary to be ambitious. To reduce energy use in the Bega Valley by 50% will require a radical rethink of energy efficiency. And to source 50% of electricity used in the Valley from renewable sources will require massive investment in wind, solar and biomass facilities. The timeframe is tight to achieve all this by 2020. But already nine shires in SE NSW have committed to these goals. The region has been identified as a place that supports renewable energy. People are excited by it. 

A local dairy farmer has just returned from Austria and is telling neighbours about how some Austrian dairy farmers are making more money from selling methane than from milk. The methane is generated from the decomposition of cow manure in special digesters. This bioenergy is a potential source of fuel for conversion to heat, electricity or transport fuel.

And now Clean Energy for Eternity is looking further afield to see how other communities have used renewable energy to improve their sustainability. The town of Daylesford will soon become the sight of Australia’s first community wind farm thanks to the work of local group Hepburn Renewable Energy Association. And Power4Community is using the same model to develop a wind farm in Central West NSW.