About WE Share
Power With Purpose. Community at the Core.
WeShare is not just an energy initiative — it’s a movement grounded in values, designed to build a more equitable, resilient, and locally governed energy future. Everything we do begins with one core principle:
Access is not a luxury. Access is power.
Our work began with the belief that everyone should have the right to participate in the energy transition — not just the wealthy, not just the technically savvy, and not just property owners. We’re redefining what community energy can look like: affordable, inclusive, and on a path toward community ownership.
The Heart of the WeShare Approach
Through years of pre-pilot installations, collaboration with trusted partners, and feedback from our community, WeShare has laid the foundation for a living model of transformation — from top-down, profit-driven energy systems to grassroots, people-first solutions.
This page introduces five foundational ideas that guide our evolving work:
Why We Exist
The current energy system wasn’t built for community-led, renewable solutions — and it’s failing too many. WE Share exists to create a new model: affordable, community-owned power designed from the ground up. We’re building the tools, partnerships, and infrastructure needed for a fairer, more resilient energy future.
Our Plan
We’re not waiting for a perfect energy system — we’re building a working one. Grounded in pilot programs on Waiheke Island, WeShare’s plan outlines how community ownership, hybrid solar systems, and financial accessibility form the foundation of a replicable, people-first energy model.
The Big Idea
We’re building a distributed, people-powered energy system — one where communities generate, store, and share their own power. Through practical pilots and forward-looking partnerships, WeShare is proving that energy can be accessible, resilient, and collectively owned.
Ownership & Governance
WeShare is a community-led cooperative initiative, designed to ensure energy systems provide benefits to the community and remain under local control. Decisions are made transparently, benefits are reinvested locally, and partners collaborate under agreements that prioritise the public good.
Licensing & Sharing
WE Share’s open licensing ensures community energy frameworks can be reused—responsibly. All use must align with core values: non-commercial, community-led, and ethically governed. This living model protects origin communities and supports global replication.
A Living, Evolving Model
WeShare is being built by the people of Waiheke — for Waiheke, and for communities like ours everywhere. Some parts of the model are already real, like our pilot installations and technical testing. Others — like cooperative governance and large-scale community rollout — are actively being developed.
Every home powered, every conversation held, and every challenge faced helps shape the future of this project.
We’re not waiting for change. We’re building it.