SwitchedOn podcast: The inexperienced volunteers who put an entire suburb on the path to electrification

Four years ago, a handful of Canberra volunteers set out to prove that entire communities could move from gas and petrol to efficient electric homes and transport. Their campaign has now become Go Electric, a major ARENA-backed pilot helping up to 1,000 households electrify through a coordinated one-stop service.

Following in the footsteps of Electrify 2515 in the Illawarra, but operating on a larger scale, the project will test whether finance, trades, technology and customer support can be brought together in a model that can be replicated elsewhere.

It will also tackle difficult questions about grid capacity, renters and the use of 200 electric vehicles as batteries for homes and the wider energy system.

Electrify Canberra co-founder Sarah Reid explains how community trust and persistent advocacy turned an ambitious volunteer campaign into a real-world demonstration.