How to heal renewables rift in regional Australia's rapid 'energy sprawl'

Earlier this year farmers in western Victoria vowed to lock their gates to stop a major energy link to NSW even as the developers said they didn't need permission to access the land.

In Wollongong, 1000 people gathered to protest against a proposed offshore wind farm.

It's become a familiar scene in regional areas as community backlash against large-scale renewable energy projects - and the infrastructure required to support them - flares. In some cases the debate is pitting neighbour against neighbour.

Bristling underneath is a tension that regional communities feel they are wearing the costs of decarbonisation while their city cousins reap the benefits. The scale and number of community protests against renewable energy infrastructure might normally indicate the nation doesn't support a transition to renewables.

Yet polls have shown broad support across Australia for a switch from fossil fuels to renewables. The Lowy Institute found almost two-thirds of regional Australians back federal Labor's target of 82 percent renewables by 2030, with support marginally higher in cities. A CSIRO survey had similar results.

There are three key factors behind the increase in community tensions over renewables:

Addressing the third issue, and allowing communities to be able to be involved and benefit from renewable energy projects, is critical in avoiding this backlash.

Australia is a world leader in rooftop solar, showing the nation's ability to innovate and adopt early. Yet conflict between sections of the community, industry and government over the rollout of large renewable energy projects are a sharp reminder that broad support for renewables isn't always reflected on the ground.

Two decades of the "climate wars" have shaped the Australian political agenda and planning for the orderly retirement of the nation's ageing fleet of coal power stations - and building new energy infrastructure - has been neglected.

The challenge will only grow as electricity demand surges. The Australian Energy Market Operator predicts the energy system's capacity will need to grow from just under 100 gigawatts now to 300 gigawatts by 2050.

The unprecedented pace and scale of renewable energy development across Australia and the decentralised nature of renewable energy means the nation is also experiencing what some researchers have touted as "energy sprawl"', bringing energy infrastructure to new locations.

Recent analysis found that Australia has abundant land, making it well positioned to be a global leader in the transition to renewable energy. Australia could reach the country's projected electricity demand in 2050 by utilising just 0.4 percent of the areas identified with strong solar energy potential. It could achieve the same using wind power alone using just 0.8 percent of the land with onshore wind potential. However, most of that land is in rural and regional areas, where extensive grazing and other forms of agriculture are the primary uses for land.

That sparks concerns over perceived competition for land use and access, pitting renewables against food security and biodiversity conservation. Farmers have cited issues with the renewables rollout, from the effects of transmission lines on their operations and property values, through to fears that solar panels will take up tracts of productive land.

Yet, as the example of agrisolar shows, there are circumstances under which both agricultural and solar farms can coexist. Renewable infrastructure also provides alternative revenue streams, with farmers typically earning $40,000 per wind turbine per year.

Environmental concerns, especially around the impact on wildlife such as habitat fragmentation and degradation, can spark community resistance.

The Wooroora Station Wind Farm proposal for near Ravenshoe in north Queensland was withdrawn because of potential impact on frog habitat and its proximity to the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Area.

There are also concerns that renewable energy projects affect visual amenity. It's clear that these changes come at a cost to host communities which is why most state governments have compensation or mitigation measures in place. Research shows projects gain social support when communities feel the process has been fair and that the direct benefits reflect the costs.

The Community Engagement Review into the renewable energy sector by the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner found 92 percent dissatisfaction with the way project developers engaged the local community. It pointed to poor practices in the sector, sparking negative experiences and community pushback.

There is a notable tension between community engagement efforts and the rigid policy frameworks that shape renewable energy development. It can mean communities are consulted, but their input is sidelined because of policy restrictions and that leads to distrust and perceptions of an unfair or tokenistic process. Genuine community fears can also be exploited by vested interests and misinformation actors promoting questionable claims to fuel community resistance and backlash.

A starting point for moving beyond the current conflicts is restoring trust in government - for its overarching renewable energy targets and its regulatory safeguards to drive industry practice - and between industry and communities.

Renewable energy developments that move towards better biodiversity outcomes and shared land use with agriculture, like agrisolar, can help allay community concerns, build trust in the industry and create energy security. Resourcing and empowering communities to be able to engage with and benefit from renewable energy projects is vital to mitigate backlash.

The western Riverina town of Hay saw how conflict over renewables had ravaged other communities and its council tried to proactively prepare for energy projects. It worked with the not-for-profit Australian Renewable Energy Alliance, known as RE-Alliance, on a community process to develop guiding principles for developers. There are now over eight renewable energy projects in the pipeline for Hay.

First Nations communities are developing innovative partnerships, where projects provide reliable and affordable energy to their communities, pay for land use, commit to First Nations procurement and employment outcomes.

Approaches that involve communities as stakeholders and use and value their local knowledge can deliver better outcomes. One organisation, the Community Power Agency, helped develop a guide for Building Better Biodiversity on Solar Farms, that brought environmentalists, researchers, farmers and other groups together with developers to examine how solar energy infrastructure could work in New England.

It's unlikely all community members will ever fully embrace a renewable energy project in their area. But more can be done to ensure communities are better informed and have opportunities to participate. For example, a guide co-developed by the Business Renewable Centre Australia, World Wildlife Fund Australia and ERM Energetics outlines best practice renewable energy development across environment, climate, community and organisational goals.

Some not-for-profit organisations have suggested local energy hubs could provide trusted, neutral and accessible information on topics like home electrification and allow community members to give feedback on large-scale energy proposals. Demystifying the energy transition will help restore much-needed trust. The shift to renewable energy sources can create a more thriving society and environment, but only if communities are involved in the process.