Energy access refers to facilitating access to secure, sustainable and affordable energy, inline with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

GCoM is currently developing guidelines for energy access plans to be included in the common reporting framework.

As such, at this stage, we recommend that councils consider developing energy access plan taking into consideration the following:

(1) Access to secure energy - reducing energy demand through improved energy efficiency and energy management; diversifying their energy mix, reducing excess reliance on a single source and emphasising a diversity of renewable energy sources; reducing dependence on imported energy.

(2) Access to sustainable energy - Prioritising renewable energy and energy efficiency when providing energy into new locations, providing access to renewable energy and energy efficiency opportunities to residents and communities, expanding decentralised energy distribution systems. 

(3) Access to affordable energy  - Although energy affordability is typically beyond the local government’s purview. Local government can influence the affordability of energy through a range of interventions - such as local policies, energy management, the use of subsidies or other mechanisms like incentives to promote renewable energy systems or energy efficiency measures.