Community Energy NI will be taking part in NICVA’s ‘Big Ideas: Festival of Economics’ on Friday 12th August. The event will bring together key note speakers, panels, workshops and conversations to spark debate about the big ideas that could transform our economy.
The one day festival will have over 20 speakers who will initiate dialogue about the cancellation of debt, universal affordable childcare, better economic data, universal basic income, political debate on a Left-Right economic axis.
Community Energy NI will be holding a fringe session as part of the event to focus on why communities in Northern Ireland and the third sector are largely passive when it comes to energy issues and who is really in control of organising and managing our energy. Communities have no autonomy and fuel poverty levels remain significant.
The big idea to solve the problem is to unleash the potential for communities to power change in relation to energy by; 1.Generating Community Energy; 2. Managing energy usage; 3. Purchasing energy; and 4. Reducing energy usage.
Lauri McCusker, Director of the Fermanagh Trust (administrators of Community Energy NI) who will be speaking at the fringe session said “We are much looking forward to this event where there will be plenty of opportunity for discussion, debate and new ideas. Over 100 people from the voluntary and community sector, Government Ministers and officials, academics, business leaders and interested individuals will come together to discuss big economic issues and it’s great that community energy will be part of that discussion.”
CLICK HERE to view the Big Ideas Festival programme.