A nationwide public consultation on renewable energy from Indi MP Helen Haines has found low-cost, locally-generated power could be possible if regional communities were better supported.
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Over the past eight weeks she has received 60 submissions and conducted 14 workshops on the topic of designing a blueprint for locally-owned renewables in regional areas.
"We heard from Wodonga and Wangaratta that they'd love to be installing more solar on low-income housing, but they're constrained by the simple fact they're all volunteer-run," Dr Haines said.
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"If we could make North East Victoria the cheapest place to generate electricity in the country, not only do we create new jobs in the renewables industry, but we attract new industries seeking cheap and reliable power."
She said Indi could become a net exporter of renewable and reliable energy, with lower power bills for every household, thriving new industries and local ownership of large-scale solar farms.
A panel of experts in community energy will review the submissions and develop a final concept paper to be presented to federal Energy Minister Angus Taylor later in the year.
