Energy Transition

Electrify 2515 Powers Ahead

By Elsa Evers of Electrify 2515 Big news for the 2515 community — the official review of the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot has been approved! This marks a major milestone for the project and means we can kick start the main rollout, electrifying...

Elsa Evers

September 2025

Energy Transition

Illawarra’s Offshore Wind Zone enters new research and demonstration phase

Offshore wind in Australia will enter a new research and demonstration phase, which the Member for Cunningham has welcomed, hailing it as “a big green light” for investors. “I firmly believe that the Illawarra has a big role to play in the future of...

Genevieve Swart

August 2025

Energy Transition

Common Ground: Where a Baby Boomer ex-coal miner meets a Gen Z marine ecologist

Darryl Best and Phebe Fidge are both Illawarra locals and regular contributors to the Illawarra Flame. Despite their vastly different backgrounds – Darryl having worked in coal mines most of his life and Phebe just beginning her career in marine...

Darryl Best

August 2025

News

‘Sunlight is the best disinfectant’: How independent media is shining a light on renewables in the regions

After two years of furious debate, the Illawarra Offshore Wind Zone is in a lull. The Illawarra Flame is seizing the moment to find out how other independent papers have coped with the challenges of reporting on renewables. In speaking to other...

Genevieve Swart

August 2025

Energy Transition

Live in an apartment? Tap into solar and save

By Elsa Evers of Electrify 2515 Do you live in an apartment or strata building? Over 8% of us living in the 2515 postcode do. Yet so far, apartments represent only 2% of applications to the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot. Of the 174 apartment blocks...

Elsa Evers

August 2025

Energy Transition

How to get the most from solar and battery subsidies

by Denise Aubourg of Electrify Illawarra There have never been more incentives to install solar panels and batteries in our homes. These installs can significantly cut our energy bills & carbon footprint. But there are different things on offer...

Denise Aubourg

August 2025

News

Blue Futures’ view on the Illawarra Offshore Wind Zone

On July 16 the ABC reported that BlueFloat Energy, the only applicant for a feasibility licence in the Illawarra Offshore Wind Zone, was withdrawing from offshore wind internationally. Locally, news headlines declared the Illawarra Offshore Wind Zone project “sunk”. So, is it?

Genevieve Swart

July 2025

News

Business Illawarra’s Clean Energy Roadmap to deliver ‘jobs here for our kids and our grandkids’

Community association Good for the Gong has welcomed the “exciting and hopeful vision” of the new Illawarra Clean Energy Industry Roadmap, commissioned by Business Illawarra and launched this week at the University of Wollongong.

Genevieve Swart

July 2025

News

An exclusive visit inside one of Australia’s most energy-efficient 10-star homes

In these days of spiralling energy prices, how a home is built can make all the difference when power bills arrive, with their growing impact on the household budget. The Illawarra Flame has been granted exclusive access to one of the nation’s most...

Jeremy Lasek

July 2025

Energy Transition

Dr Saul Griffith urges Illawarra households to electrify these ‘five big things’

Engineer, entrepreneur and climate advocate Dr Saul Griffith says Australians have 20 years to make five upgrades that could help the country meet its climate targets.

Tyneesha Williams

July 2025

News

What’s the difference between the Illawarra’s Urban REZ and Offshore Wind Zone?

In his keynote address at the Illawarra Clean Energy Industry Roadmap launch on Wednesday, Wollongong MP Paul Scully took the chance to set the record straight about the Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone, now the state’s first ‘Urban REZ’. “Some...

Genevieve Swart

July 2025

News

Lightbulb moment: How the Illawarra Urban REZ is leading a quiet revolution

“The huge advantage of operating a system like that is – if done right – it could democratise equitable access to locally generated, low-cost renewable energy,” Ty Christopher says.

Genevieve Swart

July 2025

Energy Transition

Plug In! Dr Saul Griffith to launch new book at free Go Electric Open Day in Thirroul

With energy bills soaring and the movement toward healthier, low carbon living gathering pace, the time to electrify your lifestyle is now. Whether you’re already on the electric journey or curious about how to get started, mark your calendar for Go...

Elsa Evers

June 2025

Energy Transition

Gas vs Electric – what’s in a decision?

By Denise Aubourg of Electrify Illawarra Not so long ago, installing gas appliances in our homes was a popular choice for cooking, heating and hot water. The phrase “Cooking with Gas” even crept into our language, originally introduced by the...

Denise Aubourg

June 2025

Opinion

What’s an Urban Energy Zone – and why should we care?

The Illawarra could be on the verge of a quiet revolution in clean, local energy, writes Greg Knight of Renew Illawarra A fortnight ago the NSW Government announced the Illawarra will be the site of the first Urban Energy Zone (UEZ). While details...

Greg Knight

June 2025

Energy Transition

Renters reap electrification rewards with 2515 community pilot

Josh lives in Austinmer with his wife and two-year old daughter. With support from their landlords, they are the first tenants to take part in the Electrify 2515 Community Pilot. Josh explains why it’s so important for renters to be involved. What...

Elsa Evers

May 2025

Opinion

Why we need a Local Energy Hub

There is so much change going on in Australia and the rest of the world. Sometimes it can be quite overwhelming. One of the great problems we have as a community and as a society is to be able to guarantee that the information we are getting is...

Darryl Best

May 2025

News

What’s next for offshore wind? Scientists plot best path for people and planet

Associate Professor Michelle Voyer, one of the leaders of the Blue Energy Futures Lab at the University of Wollongong (UOW), is a co-author of the Australian Marine Conservation Society’s roadmap, titled Improving decision-making in relation to...

Genevieve Swart

May 2025

News

Health concerns drive calls for new homes to be all-electric

On the eve of World Asthma Day, about 50 people rallied outside Wollongong City Council’s Burelli Street offices. Their goal: to urge council to make new developments all-electric, with research showing gas stove use is estimated to cause 12% of childhood asthma in Australia.

Genevieve Swart

May 2025

Energy Transition

Electrify Illawarra busy lobbying for change for all

It’s been a busy month. Electrify Illawarra shared a stall with Renew Illawarra at the Corrimal Rotary GreenFest on April 13. We chatted to locals about how they can reduce their bills and carbon footprint by going all-electric. The BYD Dolphin...

Denise Aubourg

May 2025

Energy Transition

kWhrs: Watt is that?

This month I am looking at the way we measure fuel efficiency in our car. I am old enough to remember “Miles per Gallon”. Then we went metric and someone turned it upside-down “Litres per 100km”. Now with EVs, we have kW and kW-hours. So how...

Peter Aubourg

April 2025

News

Hot tip: Cut costs with the thermal battery already in your home

In April, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen announced a ‘bill busting’ election promise – to roll out a $2.3 billion program to cut home battery costs by 30 per cent and bring down power bills by up to $1100 a year for those...

Genevieve Swart

April 2025