New energy powered by a centuries-old business model

04 July 2025

A new article by The Energy explores how co-operatives – centuries-old by design – are powering Australia’s clean energy future through community-led innovation.

BCCM CEO Melina Morrison explains that co-operatives are often born in response to market failure. In the energy sector, they offer a powerful alternative: enabling communities to decarbonise, decentralise and democratise energy through local ownership. Thanks to legal reforms in 2019, co-ops can now raise private capital without sacrificing their member-owned structure.

Examples like Hepburn Wind, Denmark Community Wind Farm and Goulburn’s solar project show the model in action – delivering affordable, locally generated energy, reinvesting profits in community sustainability and driving real climate impact.

The article also profiles HunterNet, a manufacturing co-op in the Hunter region that emerged after the collapse of the BHP steelworks. Now turning over $180 billion, HunterNet is playing a central role in NSW’s new energy economy, demonstrating the “power of many” in action.

With over 1,800 co-operatives and mutuals already contributing $1.85 trillion in assets and 8.3 per cent of GDP, Australia’s co-op sector is well placed to lead the clean energy transition, community by community.

Read the full article, New energy powered by a centuries-old business model, in The Energy, 4 July 2025.