Indigo Power

Indigo Power operates as a community-owned social enterprise, strategically focused on transitioning North East Victoria and Southern New South Wales to renewable energy. The company was founded in 2018, originating from the community initiative 'Totally Renewable Yackandandah' which aimed to power the town entirely with renewable sources. This local project highlighted the need for a new entity to handle regulatory challenges and facilitate energy trading, leading to the creation of Indigo Power. The founding directors include Helen Haines, Ann Telford, Rowan O'Hagan, Matt Grogan, and Ben McGowan. Ben McGowan, the Managing Director since its 2018 incorporation, has a background in environmental policy, holding a PhD in Sociology, and previously worked as a business analyst at the Indigo Shire Council.

The company's business model is centered on establishing Community Energy Hubs that integrate local renewable generation, storage, and energy sharing. As a certified social enterprise, Indigo Power is mandated to reinvest at least 50% of its profits back into community projects that align with its purpose. Revenue is generated by acting as an electricity retailer, in partnership with Energy Locals, offering competitive rates and transparent billing to residential and business clients. This structure allows customers to access locally generated renewable energy and even share their own surplus power. The company directly addresses the issue of significant capital outflow from the region's electricity bills by creating a local energy economy where value is retained and reinvested.

Indigo Power's core service is the provision of clean energy through a retail plan that also facilitates community-level energy solutions. A key product is the development and management of community-scale batteries. These batteries store surplus solar energy generated during the day for use during peak times, enhancing grid stability and energy resilience. Following the Black Summer Bushfires, the company has focused on energy resilience projects, installing batteries to provide backup power for critical infrastructure like hospitals and emergency relief centers. To fund this expansion, Indigo Power has utilized equity crowdfunding, successfully raising capital from community investors. A significant milestone was securing a $4.24 million commitment from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to deploy ten new community batteries, which required a co-contribution from the company, partly raised through these crowdfunding efforts.

Keywords: community energy, renewable energy retailer, social enterprise, community batteries, solar power, energy resilience, North East Victoria, Southern New South Wales, Ben McGowan, Totally Renewable Yackandandah, local energy, energy sharing, crowdfunding, clean energy projects, Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), rural energy solutions, sustainable power, community-owned, grid stability, energy storage