What is ourPower?

ourPower seeks to rebuild a sense of trust and confidence with consumers, by starting with their values and aspirations for the energy system.

Its purpose is to provide governments, policy makers and other decision makers with a guide for public policy and market reforms, product and service development, that drive the transition to an inclusive, sustainable, zero emissions energy system to benefit all. 

ourPower is a vision for clean, affordable, dependable energy for all. It identifies core values and establishes five principles for the energy transition (see figure below). 

The vision sets out what people want now and in our future energy system.

The guiding values help decision-makers identify what’s most important when making choices 

The principles guide the development and evaluation of regulation, policy, products and services.

The principles in action guide how each principle can be applied. This guidance is provided to demonstrate how decision-makers, advocates and energy users might meet the intent of each principle. They are not intended to be prescriptive or comprehensive, and will evolve over time. The principles are not in priority order. Where the application of one principle appears to be in conflict with another, solutions that reflect the spirit of the principles should be sought, with final decisions being transparent and justifiable in terms of the overarching vision.

The process for applying ourPower recommends a new way of working to codesign solutions utilising human-centre design principles.

ourPower Vision, Values and Principles

ourPower Principles in Action

Be people focussed

We will design with and for the people of today and the future. We will educate and empower people to participate in the energy system. We will meet people where they are at and deliver their energy needs. We will aim to reduce complexity and be honest and transparent about our actions. People and communities who are socially or financially disadvantaged must be front and centre.

Examples of this principle in action:

  • Ensure energy rules, policies and measures are designed to enable access to clean, affordable, dependable energy for everyone.
  • Ensure energy rules, policies and measures do not disadvantage people if they cannot or do not want to participate in new energy products and services.
  • Be honest, ethical and transparent to build trust.
  • Understand and engage with people, businesses and communities to meet their needs, provide real choices and improve outcomes.
  • Provide education to inform and support people to access and manage energy to meet their needs.
  • Enable real choice and decision-making by ensuring options and tools are ethical, clear, transparent, learnable, in plain language and accessible.
  • Enable people, businesses and communities to contribute to society, economic development and a sustainable environment.
  • Give energy users control over how their data is used and shared in a way that is consistent with community expectations as well as privacy and other legal frameworks.
  • Ensure energy service platforms are open and people can move between them without being locked in, to support innovation and provide real choices.
  • Implement human-centred co-design processes when developing new policy, regulation, services and products, to ensure diversity of energy users views and needs.
  • Ensure adequate protections are in place to enable full participation in the energy system.
  • Ensure that people understand their responsibilities and the impacts on others of their energy choices.
Think long term and be flexible

We will focus on delivering the energy system we are likely to need in the future to improve the outcomes for people, communities and the environment. It will be flexible, innovative, responsive, and based on people’s expectations (clean, dependable and affordable). Future risks, including stranded assets and costs involved in the transition, will be identified and managed. Where there is uncertainty, identify and implement actions that are no regrets and do not close down future options.

Examples of this principle in action:

  • Articulate clear long-term objectives, consistent with the vision,to facilitate efficient investment and innovation and minimise unnecessary costs and the risk of stranded assets.
  • Focus investments on actions with long-term economic, social and environmental benefits, including reducing inequity between different types of energy users.
  • Be flexible and innovative in response to changes in people’s needs and preferences, the environment and technology.
  • Focus investment in innovation, research and development to develop products and services that meet the diverse needs of people, businesses and communities.
  • Future risks involved in the transition are identified and early action is taken to manage the risks to people and community, especially for those who are least able to manage risks.
  • Draw consumers, energy experts and stakeholders early to reform processes to co-design and test solutions prior to full implementation, including through pilots and trials.
  • Test reforms against a range of future outcomes, including their ability to withstand large and sudden changes, impacts on system reliability and security, costs and effects on people.
  • Where there is uncertainty, identify and implement actions that are ‘no regrets’ and that do not close down future options.
Be just and fair

We will manage the energy system and the energy transition in a way that is just, fair and inclusive, and leaves no one behind. This includes people who are socially and financially disadvantaged, and workers and communities impacted by the evolution of the energy system. The costs and benefits of the transition must be equitably shared, recognising that governments will play a role in supporting access to clean, affordable, dependable energy and just and fair outcomes.

Examples of this principle in action:

  • Public spending should be targeted to achieve economic and environmental benefits and reduce inequality. Public policy related costs should be met through progressive means like government budgets and not regressively via energy bills.
  • Distribute costs, benefits and risks transparently and fairly to facilitate positive outcomes.
  • Positive outcomes should not depend on people’s ability to engage with the energy system.
  • Ensure the costs and benefits of initiatives are transparent, so that people, decision-makers and advocates can respond appropriately. Cross-subsidies should be transparent and justifiable.
  • Facilitate a just transition for impacted workers and communities through economic and employment diversification policies, social protection measures and education and training. This should be managed through formal consultation with stakeholders including trade unions, workers, employers and communities.
  • Other complementary or non-market measures may be required to ensure a just and fair energy system.
  • Where energy remains unaffordable for people experiencing financial disadvantage, governments should provide adequate and equitable financial support to meet their essential needs.
  • To maintain access to energy, identify and manage hardship and vulnerability early and without penalties, and provide assistance through trusted and appropriate experienced community services.
  • Implement policies that ensure fair pricing and conduct by energy service providers.
Make sure it works

We will make sure the energy system provides secure, affordable and dependable energy. We will ensure the system is reliable and productive across the supply chain, promoting efficient energy use and new technologies and services that benefit people and the environment. Costs and risks should be allocated fairly and efficiently. The energy system should also be resilient to extreme weather, cybersecurity and other unforeseeable events.

Examples of this principle in action:

  • Ensure that investment in, and the operation of, the energy system is economically efficient and avoids wasting money and resources.
  • There should be fair and efficient allocation of costs, which should be borne first by the beneficiaries of the energy transition.
  • There should be fair allocation of risks, which should be borne by those who are best able to manage and mitigate them in the interests of energy users.
  • Ensure that the energy system can operate safely and securely regardless of how energy is produced.
  • Engage with people and communities on investment and services so that energy is delivered in line with expectations, particularly when it comes to price, reliability and resilience.
  • Improve the resilience of people, communities, businesses and institutions as well as the energy system to manage the increasing frequency and intensity of severe weather events as well as cybersecurity and other unforeseeable or ‘black swan’ events such as Covid-19.
  • Provide incentives and prioritise energy solutions relating to energy demand including energy efficiency.
  • Improve the utilisation of existing generation and network infrastructure.
  • Enable energy management technology and behaviour that enhances outcomes for energy users and reduces the costs of the energy system.
  • Develop metrics for resilience, especially relating to localised long duration outages caused by severe weather events.
  • Ensure the transparency of reliability, security and resilience data to inform decision-making and efficient investment.
  • Strong and well-supported regulators to work with people, communities and energy participants to design, implement and oversee affordable, clean dependable energy.
Deliver clean and healthy energy

Through the environmentally sustainable production and use of energy, we will transform the energy system to achieve zero emissions. The transition to a clean energy system is a shared responsibility, so it should be planned in line with scientific evidence and community expectations, enabling everyone to live healthy lives. 

Examples of this principle in action:

  • Avoid energy sources that negatively impact the health and wellbeing of people and communities and are detrimental to the environment in their production and use (including global heating, coal dust, diesel particulates, noxious fumes from burning coal and gas, wood smoke, and groundwater pollution)
  • Incentivise energy solutions that improve the health and well-being of people – for example, by improving the energy efficiency and energy productivity of homes, hospitals, schools, offices and other workplaces.
  • Implement policies and strategies in line with the transition to net zero emissions by a date consistent with the scientific evidence to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, including incentives to decarbonise, prioritising investment in zero-emissions technology and deploying clean energy production.
  • Be transparent and accountable in reporting on environmental performance.
  • Ensure people, businesses and communities can play a role in the transition to zero-emissions energy.
  • Build and dispose of energy infrastructure and components in a socially responsible and environmentally sustainable way.

Process for applying ourPower

ourPower is a guide for decision-makers to deliver energy system and market reforms, and to develop new policies, products and services.

It encourages not only a different mindset but a new way of working. A good problem-solving process is one that brings together a range of stakeholders to codesign solutions, uses human-centred design principles, and aims to jointly agree on the vision, problem, objectives, principles, requirements and evaluation criteria to find an optimal solution.

The process should include human-centred design activities (such as brainstorming, workshops, interviews, questionnaires, story boards, use-cases) to inform the development of the stages. It should be iterative, and at any point, participants may need to go back and revisit steps.

Figure incorporates the work of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC).