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Geographies of regulatory disparity underlying Australia's energy transition

Political Science

Geographies of regulatory disparity underlying Australia's energy transition

L. V. White, B. Riley, et al.

This study reveals the uneven landscape of electricity retail regulatory protections in Australia, highlighting the vulnerabilities faced by Indigenous and remote communities. Conducted by a team from Australian National University and the University of Melbourne, the research emphasizes the urgent need for policy remedies to ensure a just energy transition.... show more
Abstract
Disparities in electricity retail regulatory protections will see some consumers approaching energy transition from an uneven footing. Here we examine the spatial organization of regulatory inequities in Australia by mapping electricity legal protections for settlements nationwide. Multiple logistic regression (n = 2,996) identifies the geographic and socio-demographic characteristics of settlements likely to be underserved by regulations to: protect life-support customers, guarantee service levels, clarify connection requirements for rooftop solar, require disconnection reporting and set clear and independent complaints processes. Assessing whether communities receive fewer than four of five protections, we find that Indigenous communities are 15% more likely to be underserved across multiple metrics and remote communities are 18% more likely to be underserved. These groups overlap. Those communities whose lands are rich in resources necessary for energy transition are simultaneously at risk of non-recognition of their own energy needs under current regulation, requiring policy remedies for a just transition.
Publisher
Nature Energy
Published On
Jan 15, 2024
Authors
Lee V. White, Bradley Riley, Sally Wilson, Francis Markham, Lily O'Neill, Michael Klerck, Vanessa Napaltjari Davis
Tags
electricity regulation
Indigenous communities
remote communities
energy transition
Australia
policy remedies
regulatory inequities
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