Alana West
Policy Officer, Energy and Water Consumers’ Advocacy Program
Alana has been a Policy Officer for PIAC’s Energy and Water Consumers’ Advocacy Program (EWCAP) since November 2022.
Alana is passionate about our energy future. Growing up in the coal mining region of the Hunter Valley she experienced both the highs and lows of energy production in rural regions, and the profound social impacts energy policy can have on people. Over the past decade she has honed this passion into skills and knowledge in policy analysis and advocacy, community engagement and qualitative research.
As a doctoral candidate with the UTS Climate, Society and Environment Research Centre, Alana recently completed research examining social and ecological impacts of energy transitions in regional NSW through a comparison of community and corporate renewable energy projects.
Prior to coming to PIAC, Alana was a community engagement officer with RE-Alliance, a not-for-profit organisation advocating for regional benefits from the energy transition. In this role she focused on research and advocacy to ensure that the roll-out of Renewable Energy Zones in NSW demonstrates best-practice community engagement and benefit-sharing for regional communities. She has also worked for various other advocacy and political organisations including as a campaigns and media advisor for NSW Senator Lee Rhiannon and organiser roles with GetUp, NSW Nature Conservation Council and World Animal Protection.