A founder of the northern rivers and Australia’s first community-owned renewable energy retailer will be a key speaker at World Environment Day celebrations in Murwillumbah on Sunday, 5 June.
Enova Energy chief executive officer, Steve Harris, will detail the public company’s groundbreaking story at the festival, which runs from 10am to 3pm at Knox Park.
Enova’s successful community campaign late last year to raise funds for the venture helped it begin testing its retail systems and other processes as its gets closer to taking on its first customers.
Mr Harris, a 40-year veteran of the energy industry, says the renewable-energy retailer aimed to foster renewable energy in the region.
‘We want to support the development of local renewable energy and we will work with new initiatives to make this happen’, he said.
‘Enova is preparing a call for expressions of interest from the community and other organisations to build local renewable generation facilities.’
The World Environment Day festival is organised by the Caldera Environment Centre, with support from Tweed Shire Council.
Organiser Ari Ehrlich said it was exciting to have Enova’s CEO speaking at this year’s event, with the pioneering energy retailer so close to starting full operations.
‘Enova’s establishment here and its goal to supply all its customers with energy generated entirely by renewable sources further entrenches this region as an epicentre of renewable energy’, Mr Ehrlich said.
‘The northern rivers has one of Australia’s highest uptakes of home solar power systems, with more than 5,000 Tweed households preparing for the end of the 60-cent solar feed-in tariff at the end of the year.
‘And we’re home to the Tyalgum Energy Project to take Tyalgum off the grid.
‘Steve is a great inclusion on a list of wonderful speakers who will keep Tweed residents up to date with some of the most exciting green energy initiatives in the country, happening right here,’ Mr Ehrlich said.
Other festival speakers, stalls and workshops will provide many ideas on how people can make their households and lives more sustainable, lower their energy costs, while giving the environment a helping hand along the way.
Council will conduct a series of hands-on workshops at the festival, giving people a chance to roll up their sleeves and get practical experience in ways they can live more sustainably.
The annual celebration will also feature a number of entertainers, including Gabriel and Cecilia, the Andrea Kirwin Band and the Pitts Family Circus.
Electric car and bicycle demonstrations will be on display alongside environmental and sustainable business stalls, a composting demonstration, kids activities and food stalls.
Details about the festival are available at calderaenvironmentcentre.org.
For more information about Enova email [email protected]
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