This procurement is being undertaken by the Illawarra Shoalhaven Joint Organisation (ISJO) on behalf of it's Members: Kiama Municipal Council, Shellharbour City Council, Shoalhaven City Council and Wollongong City Council.

Established in 2018, the ISJO works within a framework of collective achievement to lead regional priorities and initiatives for the Illawarra Shoalhaven region, working with our Member Councils, State agencies, other Joint Organisations, industry, researchers, peak groups and key stakeholders to deliver the things that matter most.

The requested activities and deliverables form part of a program of work funded by the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) through its Sustainable Councils team: the Joint Organisation Net Zero Acceleration (JONZA) Grant Program.

In delivering emissions reduction programs, ISJO Councils have recognised that a transition to renewable energy is a key driver in achieving their Net Zero commitments.

Operationally, Councils have adopted a number of initiatives including renewable energy projects and power purchase agreements to meet their targets.

A key gap identified has been a program to support their communities, including households and small-medium sized businesses to adopt renewables energy systems which will assist in decarbonising the regional electricity supply network.

The ISJO and our Member Councils would therefore like to assist local communities in understanding the benefits of transitioning to renewables energy, provide guidance on the systems that are available for generation and storage and their suitability in specific circumstances, and to support communities in equitable and affordable access to both rooftop solar and battery systems and regional distributed energy networks.

As such ISJO and our Member Councils are seeking a strategic partnership with established provider(s) to accelerate community transition through the design and implementation of a Community Renewables Program (Program), for the Illawarra Shoalhaven region.

The primary objective is to support the Illawarra Shoalhaven region in reducing total greenhouse gas emissions through grid decarbonisation, increasing community access to affordable renewable energy and support Member Councils through an innovative approach to engaging with their communities.

Key deliverables will include:

1. Design and delivery of a Community Renewables Program.

2. Propose suitable renewable energy system design(s) for households and businesses.

3. Define pricing and finance models for a range of customers and various sizes and configurations of system design(s).

4. Maximise local procurement of goods and services.

5. Recommend initiatives for long-term delivery and integration.