Community Energy Info Evening
Your first step in community energy starts here!
Nau mai, haere mai, hau mai, afio mai, welkam
Cleaner, fairer, more affordable energy starts with community.
Worried about power bills, and petrol prices?
Want your community to have more say in how energy is made, shared and kept on when it matters most?
Community energy puts power back in local hands, through pathways that include shared solar & wind power, resilience hubs for when the grid goes down, and projects on schools, marae and community spaces.
Join us for an Intro to Community Energy: what it is, why we're activating, how it could look where you live, and most of all how your community can get involved.
No technical experience needed, just a heart for your community.
What is Community Energy?
Simply put, community energy is any clean energy project that is run collaboratively, and whose benefits flow directly back to local people.
This isn't just for neighborhoods—it can also be formed by groups with a shared purpose, like a sports club, church group, or a national co-op. Projects might look like a community battery, an EV bike or car-share, a buyers group, to a micro-grid and power company.
Why attend?
To begin the journey of gathering know-how about participating in the energy sector, and how we can join forces for:
Keeping power and transport prices affordable
Local energy resilience - currently Auckland relies almost only on energy imported or piped in from elsewhere
Making sure renters don't get left out of the clean energy transition; and
Community wealth building - community energy holds important opportunities for local people to lead and collectively-own our power generation, giving employment and prosperity for local people.
Who should come?
Community leaders, residents' associations, local community and social service providers, community housing initiatives, local sustainability champions, and anyone who wants a fairer, cleaner and more affordable energy future.
Community Energy Activator
This Intro Evening is part of the Community Energy Activator programme. An awesome opportunity to support groups ready to explore community energy initiatives they could take on with the guidance of technicians.
The next steps following this session are a:
Navigator Training Day taking place 3 Nov 2026 in South Auckland, or
An In-person Workshop 4 Nov 2026 in West Auckland.
Then the Activator series early 2027 to support local community groups keen to understand their options and make plans.
There is no cost to attend. Register now to reserve your place.
Proudly brought to you in partnership with Community Energy Network, Vector Ltd, and Auckland Council.
Lineup
Gareth Cartwright, Community Energy Network
As CEN Executive Officer, Gareth works with CEN members and sector partners nationally to eliminate energy hardship and grow the number of community-owned clean energy projects. The CEN has been the backbone nationally supporting Community Energy Activators to happen in Ōtautahi, Taranaki, Tairāwhiti, and now Tāmaki Makaurau.
Alex Kirkham, Climate Connect Aotearoa
As Energy Innovation Lead, Alex has been project managing the Franklin Energy Sharing protoype in conjunction with Counties Energy. She offers an inside track insight into this groundbreaking project.
Marisa Pene, The Southern Initiative
Being Tokelauan/Māori and brought up as a substation kid, community ownership and energy justice loom large for Marisa. She will lay down some energy sector context for the Info evening.
Further speakers tba - watch this space
FAQs
- What will come after this event? How do I get involved?
We are running a Community Energy Activator programme in early 2027. We're looking to enlist community groups to participate who are ready to explore potential energy initiatives.
This follows on from Community Energy Activators that have run in Ōtautahi - Christchurch, and Taranaki.
Following this intro session, we will be looking for people ready to put their hand up to take the next step.
That involves attending the Navigator workshop 3 November 2026, where people who may end up leading or supporting a community group through the Activator programme, can get more in depth knowledge on how community energy projects get off the ground.
- How much does it cost to attend?
It is free to attend.
- I have some questions, who can I talk to?
Press 'contact the host' above to connect with Marisa Pene or Alex Kirkham who can assist you.
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