Energy Grid Alliance (EGA) is a community-focused, independent initiative advocating for fair, transparent, and environmentally responsible electricity transmission planning in Australia.

We engage directly with transmission companies, industry regulators, market operators, government, and local communities to promote best-practice planning, genuine community engagement, and policies that respect the rights of regional communities. Our goal is simple but critical: ensure transmission development is done with communities, not to them.

Why We Exist

EGA was established after it became clear that regional communities were being left out of decisions that profoundly affect their land, environment, livelihoods, and futures. The process of building new transmission infrastructure has too often been top-down, opaque, and dismissive of legitimate community concerns.

We saw communities being ignored, confused, and disempowered — and we stepped in.

With a background in industrial design, project management, strategic planning, and policy development, our founder created tools and frameworks to help people understand the process, become organised, and have their voices heard in the rooms where decisions are made.

What We Stand For

We believe in a future powered by renewable energy — but one that doesn’t come at the cost of social justice, environmental protection, or basic democratic principles.

EGA is passionate about just and equitable transmission development, and we operate at the intersection of community advocacy, environmental integrity, and policy reform. Our work is grounded in evidence, ethics, and lived experience — and we’re not afraid to challenge flawed processes or hold decision-makers to account.

We’ve advised all levels of government, industry, and NGOs on energy transition issues — with a particular focus on environmental impact, socio-economic fairness, regulatory reform, and social licence. And we work directly with communities to help them navigate the labyrinth of transmission planning processes, from policy to practice.

Our Approach Has Changed — Because It Had To

For five years, we tried diplomacy. We collaborated, we contributed constructively, we gave every benefit of the doubt. But over time, it’s become painfully clear that the current planning framework — led by the likes of AEMO and VicGrid — is not built to serve regional communities. It’s built to protect and advance a pre-determined agenda.

EGA will always operate with integrity, but we’re no longer sugar-coating what’s going on: regional communities are being systematically ignored, costs are skyrocketing without proper justification, and flawed planning decisions are being bulldozed through under the guise of consultation.

We’re here to shine a light on that — and to help communities push back.

How We Work

EGA is not a business. We don’t charge fees, we don’t accept funding, and we don’t profit from our work. Everything we do is volunteered — driven by a genuine passion to support regional communities and to ensure the energy transition is done right.

We work:

• Independently – free from industry, government, or corporate influence
• Collaboratively – engaging with all stakeholders to find common ground when possible
• Transparently – openly sharing knowledge, research, and insights
• Assertively – when systems fail the public, we speak out

What We Want

• Transmission development that delivers a net benefit to all stakeholders, not just the energy market.
• Modern design standards and the sharing of lessons from early adopters and other industries.
• A shift in mindset across the energy sector that recognises authentic community engagement is not an obstacle — it’s essential.

Because this energy transition will define a generation — and how we do it will determine whether it divides us or strengthens us.