Our Plan
How We Make Community Energy Work
The current energy system is expensive, centralized, and often inaccessible to those who need it most. But the future of power isn’t top-down — it’s community-led from the “bottom up”
WE Share exists to bring energy sovereignty back to people and place—starting with Waiheke Island. We’re creating a new model that’s owned by the community, built with integrity, and guided by values.
We’re not waiting for a perfect system. We’re building a working one now.
What We’re Building
A regenerative, locally owned and governed energy system
This isn’t just a project. It’s a community blueprint for the next energy era.
How We Do It
| Pillar | Our Approach |
|---|---|
| Values alignment | “Community first” controls within a values based framework |
| Community Ownership | Structures that return power to people, not corporations |
| Technology & Design | Smart, modular, hybrid systems integrated for local resilience within a “Community First” framework. (not designed from top- down corporate profit models) |
| Collaboration & Innovation | Aligned and active engagement with top professionals, changemakers, companies & institutions. Integrating innovations within our unique community model |
| Financial Enablement | Pathways that reduce upfront cost and support ownership and circular community economics |
| Consent-Based Governance | All decisions made with full transparency and community consent. Establish participatory channels via the Platform One Foundation Charitable Trust, Community Governance Circle and the Data, Privacy & AI Ethics Circle |
Everything we do flows from these pillars.
Where We’re Starting
Waiheke Island is our living pilot.
We’re co-creating this energy system with residents, partners, funders, and stakeholders. Our current status includes:
- Installation of 50 sponsored hybrid solar & battery packages for residential and business
- Launching the Virtual Power Plant technical framework with Ecotricity
- Engaging with the Electricity Authority to grant an exemption to all of Waiheke to conduct P2P trading (Peer to Peer) / MTR (Multiple Trading Relationships) island wide. The Waiheke Sandbox)
- Power Person and community installer partnerships
- Facilitating establishment of micro grid resilience hubs
- Community scale batteries
- Active engagement / facilitating the installation of solar & battery systems with schools and community halls as community emergency hubs
What’s Next
As we prove the model, we plan to:
- Ongoingly prove and further develop the business case to support the Energy Authority to recognise a new class of energy participant – the “Community Power” class
- Expand partnerships with values-aligned retailers, networks, and funders
- Evolve from a ‘Framework’ to a community owned and operated ‘ Co-operative’ energy organisation
- Share our Community Energy Blueprint with other regions
- Offer open-source process guidance to any group wanting to replicate it
This is our plan to scale: carefully, cooperatively, and with integrity.
Final Word
A resilient community energy future we need isn’t something we wait for. It’s something we build – together.
Explore the next section: The Big Idea