Tackling energy insecurity in remote communities

Researchers from Flinders and Macquarie Universities have presented the benefits of community-led energy systems for First Nations people in remote parts of Australia.

Compared to grid-connected households, remote communities endure ongoing energy insecurity due to geographic isolation, reliance on diesel, and uneven consumer protections. Together with colleagues, Apel Mahmud, Professor in Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Flinders University, has investigated how these remote communities can transition to a renewable energy model that’s reliable and equitable.

In recent decades, renewable energy projects — incorporating solar photovoltaic generation, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and other renewable technologies — have been set up to bring reliable power to First Nations communities and slash their dependence on expensive diesel. Mahmud’s analysis, undertaken with Dr Tushar Kanti Roy from the School of Engineering at Macquarie University, has found that these systems are proving effective.

“Across remote First Nations communities, diesel-dominant electricity supply systems consistently underperform on affordability and reliability, while well-designed solar-battery systems deliver clear benefits in both areas,” Mahmud said.

However, Mahmud also identified an ongoing gap in protection for off-grid consumers. “Consumer outcomes remain constrained by persistent regulatory gaps, particularly the lack of consistent protections for off-grid customers,” he said.

“This is reflected in the high rates of disconnection recorded in remote communities, underscoring the urgency of pairing technical improvements with rights-aligned consumer safeguards.

“The solutions I have proposed illustrate that technical upgrades, robust consumer protections and community governance must advance together to realise energy sovereignty and close the equity gap.”

Mahmud has put forward a practical agenda for improving electricity supply for remote communities. This includes advanced community microgrids (including long-duration storage); smart energy management and monitoring systems; and rights-aligned consumer mechanisms for customers with prepaid metering systems. Also recommended are fit-for-purpose regulation, innovative blended finance, and on-country workforce development.

“A smart energy solution requires an integrated framework that couples technical performance with equity, cultural authority and energy sovereignty,” he said. “This will offer reliable, affordable and clean electricity for remote First Nations communities.”

Mahmud identified the following priority actions:

• Piloting modular vertical-axis wind clusters alongside solar-battery systems, to strengthen evening and seasonal electricity supply.
• Codifying ‘no-worse-off’ consumer protections, to cover transparent billing, hardship assistance, life-support safeguards and access to dispute resolution for all households, regardless of their grid connection.
• Standardising rights-aligned, prepaid crediting systems, to integrate renewable benefits directly into household accounts.
• Deploying AI/IoT-enabled monitoring platforms with on-country training to ensure long-term system performance and local engagement.
   

“When these measures are coupled with fit-for-purpose financing models, tailored policy reforms and sustained investment in local skills, they can deliver reliable, affordable and culturally aligned electricity services for remote First Nations communities,” Mahmud said.

It’s Mahmud’s belief that this integrated approach ensures clean energy transition is not only technologically achievable, but also socially just — placing community leadership, cultural authority and equity at the centre of Australia’s energy future.

Mahmud and Roy’s article, ‘Electricity supply systems for First Nations communities in remote Australia: Evidence, consumer protections and pathways to energy equity’, has been published in the journal Energies (DOI: 10.3390/en18195130).

Image credit: iStock.com/John Wallace