Earthworker Energy: A community-owned business powering Latrobe’s clean energy future
For generations, workers in the Latrobe-Gippsland region have been powering Victoria’s energy supply, with coal-fired power defining the region's economy and identity. Now, as Australia transitions to renewable energy sources, the region is building cleaner, more diverse and community-led industries.
One organisation leading this shift is Earthworker Energy Manufacturing Cooperative, a worker-owned social enterprise based in Morwell, manufacturing and installing premium solar and heat pump hot water systems. This innovative business is strengthening local jobs and supporting workers, while helping households in across Victoria cut emissions.
Workers at Earthwork Energy Factory
A new approach to clean energy for the regions
Earthworker Energy has a unique business model. It’s a worker-run manufacturing cooperative, where every employee has a say in how the organisation runs, and the opportunity to become a co-owner of the enterprise. There is no boss or external stakeholders, and all profits are distributed equally and locally. This democratic, community-centred structure ensures economic benefits stay in the region, offering workers long-term stability and a genuine voice in shaping their future.
'We’re proud of our unique high-performing products but are particularly motivated to build more democratic and sustainable economies,' explains Earthworker Energy worker-member Dan Musil. 'We’re working to create community-based livelihoods in the Latrobe Valley, while helping households reduce their power bills and pollution.'
Earthworker Energy employs local residents and encourages applications from people affected by the changing energy landscape. Roles at the factory build on the technical strengths already present in Latrobe Valley, from welding and fabrication to assembly, warehousing, and operations. Workers are supported through training, on-the-job learning and union-aligned employment conditions. This makes sure locals can build long-term careers, without needing to leave the region.
Supporting communities with innovation and social purpose
Earthworker Energy is part of the broader Earthworker Cooperative movement, a network of businesses working to build a ‘solidarity economy’. This is an ecosystem of cooperative businesses focused on environmental sustainability, worker empowerment and community wellbeing. This model brings together:
- community ownership
- local job creation
- emissions reduction
- affordable access to clean energy technologies
- reinvestment into social and environmental projects.
With this unique approach, Earthwork Energy is strengthening regional industry, reducing supply-chain emissions and demonstrating how the Latrobe Valley can move forward as the nation transforms its energy supplies.
Helping households cut emissions with low-carbon technologies
From its factory in Morwell, Earthworker Energy manufactures and installs a range of Australian-made, energy-efficient systems. These vary from heat pump, electric and solar hot water systems to energy storage solutions and premium hot water storage tanks. Their products help households shift away from gas and embrace cleaner energy.
Hot water makes up a significant share of household energy use. By manufacturing these systems locally, Earthworker Energy provides affordable technologies for many families in the region and across Australia, creating an accessible step toward new energy.
A model for an orderly, community-led transition
Earthworker Energy is an excellent example of what an orderly transition can look like when workers and communities come together to create positive change. Their Morwell-based factory is a symbol of regional resilience and shows the potential for new industries to thrive in places traditionally reliant on coal.
As the Latrobe-Gippsland region navigates a significant change in energy resources, this company reflects a powerful commitment: creating local, secure and meaningful jobs in the regions as part of Australia's clean energy future.