On 6 December 2024, all Australian energy ministers released the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy — the first national framework placing First Nations peoples at the centre of Australia's energy transformation. Backed by $70 million in federal funding over three years, the strategy represents the most significant policy commitment to First Nations energy self-determination in Australian history.
Three goals, one vision
The strategy is built around a vision of "a sustainable clean energy future for all Australians, with Country and Culture at the Heart," supported by three goals:
- Empower First Nations communities with clean energy — investing in clean energy systems and removing obstacles that prevent communities from accessing reliable, affordable power.
- Enable equitable partnerships — ensuring First Nations peoples can participate in and benefit from clean energy projects on their Country, including through equity partnerships, revenue sharing and meaningful consultation.
- Achieve economic benefits with First Nations peoples — supporting First Nations energy businesses, workforce development and long-term economic participation in the clean energy sector.
The strategy was shaped by extensive consultation including nine roundtables held across Australia with up to 2,000 Traditional Owners, community representatives, industry leaders and government officials between March 2023 and February 2024.
The funding that follows
The $70 million commitment is being delivered through several programs, the most immediately relevant being the First Nations Clean Energy Advice Grants — now open for applications through business.gov.au. These grants of $5,000 to $80,000 fund feasibility studies, professional advice and planning for community clean energy projects. They are demand-driven and first-come-first-served.
A second funding stream, the Pilot Projects program, will support communities to progress from feasibility studies to final investment decisions — bridging the gap between planning and construction. The strategy also signals that from 2026, the Capacity Investment Scheme will require project developers to enter into agreements providing at least 5% equity or equivalent revenue sharing directly with First Nations peoples.
Why the Kimberley is ground zero
More than half of Australia's land and seas are held under formal First Nations rights and interests, and the majority of the country's renewable energy zones sit on or adjacent to First Nations Country. The Kimberley — with its exceptional solar resource, 117 remote communities dependent on diesel and gas generation, and strong Aboriginal governance structures — sits at the intersection of every priority the strategy identifies.
The East Kimberley Clean Energy Project, a $3 billion solar and green hydrogen initiative co-owned by three Traditional Owner groups and clean energy investor Pollination, is cited as a leading example of the kind of First Nations-led, large-scale project the strategy aims to enable nationally.
What communities should do now
The strategy creates the policy framework; the grants create the funding; but communities need to act to access it. The immediate step for any Kimberley community interested in clean energy is to apply for a First Nations Clean Energy Advice Grant to fund a professional feasibility study. Applications are open now through business.gov.au and close 3 September 2026. The grant is first-come-first-served — speed matters more than perfection.
The First Nations Clean Energy Network, which advocated for the strategy since 2022, has welcomed its release and is working with communities across Australia to support implementation. Communities can access information, case studies and connection to technical advisors through firstnationscleanenergy.org.au.