From the beginning TRY’s ethos has been to show what can be done, that a clean energy transition is entirely achievable. We have worked hard to speak to communities, organisations and media whenever the chance arises about the steps we’re taking and the milestones achieved.
This list is not exhaustive but includes the most recent, notable or informative of media items on TRY in reverse chronological order. Scroll down or jump to a year via the buttons.
2025
TRY appeared as a case study in Hopeful Action – A Handbook for Community-led Climate Transitions (Taryn Lane, funded by Winston Churchill Trust Impact Fund, Issuu, 7 January 2025) – p.70-74
2024
Interview about TRY’s 10th Anniversary (Sandra Moon, ABC Goulburn Murray Radio Breakfast, 14 November 2024) – interview runs from 1:18:10 to 1:23:55
The Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) recently added TRY’s second community battery project as a case study on its Neighbourhood Batteries website:
‘Yackandandah: the small community making big strides in renewable energy’ and ‘Yack02: Powered and empowered’, 100 NB case studies (Victorian Government, September 2024)
Report by the Climate Council on the status of the shift to clean energy on a state by state basis. TRY features as one of the Victorian case studies: Race to the Top: Australia’s Clean Energy Momentum (Engel-Mallon, McLeod, Rayner & Veldre, The Climate Council, August 2024, pp.9-11).
Report by Pollination Group for the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) on community energy, its driving motivations, the opportunities and outcomes. TRY is one of five case studies from around Australia: Community energy: Hope and Headwinds [3.7 MB], (Hancock, Shannon, McConnell & Ashford, Pollination Group, July 2024, pp.14-16).
Local electricity infrastructure provider AusNet’s overview of the Yackandandah community batteries.
Project: Yack01 community battery, AusNet website, July 2024
Project: Yack02 community battery, Ausnet website, July 2024
As part of a series funded by the Indigo Power Foundation and the Community Energy Network, TRY was asked how we engage with our community to achieve our goals.
Achieving big goals with small steps and conversations (six-minute interview by Make a Change Australia for Expand Your Impact workshops, 23 April 2024).
Charged and ready: Border communities plug into neighbourhood batteries (Layton Holley, The Border Mail, 14 March 2024)
Craig Reucassel interviews Heather Smith from the Coalition for Community Energy about community energy and she uses TRY as an example (ABC Radio Sydney Breakfast, 15 February 2024) – the interview runs from: 1:03:15 – 1:08:43
What would it take for Victorian towns to generate their own power? (Richelle Hunt & Tim Lee, The Conversation Hour, ABC Radio Melbourne, 21 February 2024) – the interview runs from 18:40 – 26:20
2023
The release of a Collective Impact Study on the community energy sector by the Community Power Agency, UTS and the University of Melbourne prompted a series of interviews with community energy groups, including TRY:
Yackandandah energy group aims to support farmers to meet community goal (Rachel Simmonds, Stock & Land, 8 December 2024)
She wanted to do the right thing on renewables – but found a $6b bonus (Ben Potter, Australian Financial Review, 18 October 2023)
Gas ban for new buildings welcomed by Border renewable energy advocates (Ted Howes, The Border Mail, 28 July 2023)
Yackandandah hosted the launch of Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 EV and scored an article about the town and its 100% efforts: Living the clean life in Yackandandah (Olga de Moeller, Travel, The West Australian, 1 April 2023)
An article about the solar, battery and backup generator installation at the Yackandandah SES facility:
100 per cent renewable: a Small-Town’s Big Goal (Victoria Vassallo, Community page, ANZ website, 14 March 2023)
TRY is announced as Indigo Shire Council’s “Community Group of the Year 2023”: Indigo’s outstanding citizens recognised with Australia Day Awards (Indigo Shire Council, Latest News, 26 January 2023)
2022
Heritage town turns to the sun to bury use of fossil fuels (Matthew Schulz, Net Zero Heroes, Institute of Community Directors Australia, 14 November 2022)
‘SES unit goes green with renewable power at its Yackandandah unit’ (Ted Howes, The Border Mail, 4 October 2022)
‘How Yackandandah reached 60 per cent clean energy use, and its plans to be totally renewable’ (Belinda Smith, ABC Science, 27 September 2022)
TRY and Yackandandah feature in the ‘Who’s Gonna Save Us?’ podcast, episode 06 | Community Power on 27/09/22 (‘Who’s Gonna Save Us?’ podcast series, ABC RN & Triple j Hack co-production, 22 August 2022)
‘I haven’t paid a bill since 2008’: Country towns empower themselves (Benjamin Preiss, The Age, 11 September 2022)
Yackandandah installs first public electric vehicle charging station (Victoria Ellis, The Border Mail, 30 August 2022)
The energy revolution happening in small Australian towns (ABC Radio National, Late Night Live, 13 July 2022)
2021
Emergency services across the North East have been granted funds for life saving equipment to help them respond in times of crisis (Prime 7NEWS Border, 9 December 2021)
Reimagining a Climate Changed Future: Local Examples of Community-Based Transformative Action (6 MB) (Research – Grounded Imaginaries, Sydney Environment Institute, November 2021, pp.29-31) (Examples of other community-energy groups are given on pages 25-38.)
ARENA opens $50 million fund for regional microgrid projects (ARENA, ARENAWire, 24 September 2021)
Farmers support new govt agency to spread renewable energy wealth (Jamieson Murphy, Farm Online National, 31 August 2021)
Haines’ Local Power Agency plan could be huge boost for community energy projects (Michael Mazengarb, Renew Economy, 27 August 2021)
How Victorian towns are creating their own energy systems, The Conversation Hour, ABC Radio, broadcast Tuesday 10 August 2021 at 11:00 am, excerpt from 12:30 – 20:40 minutes.
Rural towns like Yackandandah will control their energy security if bill gets up (Jamieson Murphy, The Canberra Times, 20/07/21)
Energy Minister Lily D’Ambrosio lauds Yackandandah as she launches giant battery to boost renewable power (Anthony Bunn, The Border Mail, 8/07/21)
Community-owned battery launches in Yackandandah – Victoria’s first (Sophie Vorrath, One Step off the Grid, 8/07/21)
Yackandandah leads charge on clean energy (media release, Premier of Victoria, 8/07/21)
Yackandandah’s community battery may not be ‘big’ but it’s enough to ‘petrify’ energy providers (Emilia Terzon, The Business, ABC News, 24/05/21)
Regional Vic town first in the country to buy ‘community battery’ (ABC Breakfast Radio, 24/05/21)
VIDEO: Remote Victorian town secures ‘game-changing’ battery (ABC TV, 24/05/21)
Parliamentary committee to hold inquiry on Haines’ Australian Local Power Agency Bill (The Border Mail, 25/03/21)
2020
Premiers Sustainability Awards 2020 – Community category & Regional Recognition category:
Totally Renewable Yackandandah named winner of 2020 Premiers Sustainability Awards (The Border Mail, 17/12/2020)
Renewable energy group wins two awards (Prime7 News Border, 17/12/2020)
Funding for a community battery (Prime7 News Border, 1/10/2020)
People Power: The Victorian communities generating their own energy (Royal Auto, RACV, 22/06/2020)
Yackandandah 3749 (Outback Magazine, June/July 2020, Issue #131)
CFA video celebrating Earth Day (Country Fire Authority, 22/4/2020)
Community energy movement: Reductions enable Resilience (pv magazine, 4/02/20)
2019
Our Future || Empower by cooling the cost of hot water (Redland City Bulletin, 28/10/19)
Industry and community collaborate on award-winning mini-grid project (Utility Magazine, 22/10/19)
The last few months in the life of Yack CFA (Yackity Yak, 19/9/19, p. 5)
Riding into a cleaner future (The Border Mail, 21/8/2019)
Indigo Council Declares Climate Emergency, Aims For 100% Renewables (SolarQuotes, 5/8/19)
Clean Energy Council Awards 2019 – Community Engagement (Mondo shared with TRY) & Innovation (AusNet, shared with Essential Energy, Institute for Sustainable Futures UTS, Mondo, Reposit and TRY)
Leading talent recognised at clean energy awards (Utility Magazine, 31/7/19)
Chance to join the solar revolution (The Border Mail, 17/7/19)
Another Australian renewable energy first planned in Yackandandah (The Canberra Times, 28/6/19)
Victorian Budget Funds For Renewable Newstead Solar Farm Project (Solarquotes, 29/5/19)
Unlocking the potential of #ClimateAction: @HelenHaines1 comments on #IndiVotes (No Fibs, 12/5/19)
Powering the communities of the future (PRObono Australia, 6/5/19)
Yackandandah rolls out the green carpet for John Hewson (Financial Review, 5/5/19)
Victorian water corporations choose solar power to cut emissions and costs (Energy Matters, 24/4/19)
Old Beechworth Gaol Goes Solar (Solarquotes, 16/4/19)
North East Victoria’s first community owned solar system is switched on (ABC News, 14/4/19)
Old Beechworth Gaol home to new community-led clean-energy project (ABC News, 14/4/19)
Victorian town notches up 1GWh locally generated renewable energy (One step off the grid, 13/2/19)
Climate change a trendy topic for candidates of Indi at local forum (ABC News, 4/2/19)
Australia could hit 100% renewables sooner than most people think (The Guardian, 14/1/19)
Victoria: Renewable energy policy brief (pv magazine, 8/1/19)
2018
New microgrid project to help Yackandandah reach 100% renewables (PV magazine, 19/10/18)
Microgrid proposal to help Yackandandah reach 100% renewables (One Step Off the Grid, 18/10/18)
Funding For Third Microgrid In Yackandandah (SolarQuotes, 18/10/18)
Clean Energy Council Award – Best Solar PV System Design & Installation (Luke Fraser, Solar Integrity, shared): Bright idea wins prestigious Clean Energy Council solar award (The Border Mail, 5/10/18)
Totally Renewable Yackandandah (Renew magazine, 3/10/18)
Rural Councils Victoria Community Innovators Award – Saving Energy Category 2018: Totally Renewable Yackandandah rewarded for bright solar ideas (Border Mail, 22/5/18)
Community-funded power ‘doable’, leading energy expert says (ABC Landline, 6/4/18)
Community projects shared (Labrobe Valley Express, 15/3/18)
2017
Community energy retailer the next step for Yackandandah (The Border Mail, 1/12/17)
Renewable energy: Yackandandah power play (The Weekly Times, 10/11/2017)
Banksia Foundation Sustainability Awards 2017 – Sustainable & Resilient Communities (in collaboration with AusNet): North East sustainable town wins national Banksia environment award (The Border Mail, 2/11/2017)
Solar energy computers ready for Australia-first trial in Yackandandah (The Border Mail, 6/9/17)
Victoria backs renewable energy community hubs with $900,000 investment (ecogeneration, 28/4/2017)
You say renewable, he says undoable (The Border Mail, 22/2/17)
The race to 100 per cent renewable town is on (The Border Mail, 19/2/2017)
Renewable energy is here to stay (Central Western Daily, 11/2/2017)
Totally Renewable Yackandandah and AusNet to launch new solar mini grid (The Border Mail, 08/2/2017)
2016
A Yack attack on climate in Yackandandah (The Weekly Times, 08/6/2016)
Yackandandah giving solar dreams 100% (The Border Mail, 30/4/2016)
Energy blueprint on horizon (Yackity Yack, February/March 2016; pg. 9)
2015
Counteracting climate catastrophe (ABC Goulburn Murray, 01/10/2015)
Yackandandah Steps into a brighter future: Community Sustainable Energy Project (Chuffed, 08/9/2015)
Totally Renewable Yackandandah (Michael Green-Freelance Journalist, 10/6/2015)
2014
Victorian Towns Shifting to 100% Renewables (Renew Economy, 17/11/14)
Victoria town aims to be 100% renewable by 2022 (Renew Economy, 31/10/2014)
Yackandandah is looking for sun solution (Border Mail, 16/9/2014)
Yackandandah showing way on renewable energy use (Border Mail, 16/9/2014 – editorial)
Federal Parliament Speech, Cathy McGowan and TRY (04/9/14)
Community power (Lauren Salathiel, Border Mail), 01/08/14
Energy builds for Yackandandah renewables target (ABC radio Goulburn Murray, 27/06/2014)