John McGrath from Valentine had never been to a protest rally before travelling with his mate Alan Hogan to Thursday's Reckless Renewables rally in Sydney.
Like hundreds of others who gathered at Martin Place, Mr McGrath said he had serious concerns about the social and environmental impacts of the clean energy transition.
"I have come to register my first protest in 74 years of life but I think enough is enough," he said.
"A lot of the projects that have been proposed today have not been costed and are not fully understood by the community and they should not proceed."
Wind projects, both onshore and land-based, bore the brunt of the protesters' fury.
The No Coastal Wind Farms group was among the largest and most visible of the groups from across NSW at the rally.
The group's efforts to stop the Hunter Offshore wind project impacting on Port Stephens' tourism and marine-based economy have drawn support from around Australia.
Spokesman Ben Abbott said the group was keen to support other groups fighting similar battles.
"We are down here to support all of the people who are against the current scheme of renewables. We don't agree with how it's been rolled out and we don't agree with the way they are implementing it over such a short period of time," he said.
The group had a second meeting with energy minister Chris Bowen this week where members again requested the community consultation process for the Hunter Offshore Wind project be reopened.
Mr Bowen refused but took on board a number of key concerns the group had about the potential impacts of the offshore wind on Port Stephens.
"The meeting was actually quite positive," Mr Abbott said.
"The next step for our group will be to continue to communicate with the minister and the public."
The group is planning a community information session on December 10. It will also target the thousands of holidaymakers who visit Port Stephens Christmas break.
"We truly believe that on a broader scale people don't understand or are even aware of what is going on," Mr Abbott said.
North Arm Cove resident John Baskett said he was particularly concerned about the environmental consequences of tethering wind turbines to the sea floor.
"After 25 years everything is just going to get left behind," he said.
"What happens to the ecology, the crustaceans and everything out there is going to be killed, destroyed and poisoned.
"There wasn't any consultation with our community. The only time people heard about it was two weeks before Bowen signed off on it."
Speakers from across the state took turns at addressing the rally about how the rollout of renewable energy was impacting communities before they marched on Parliament House.
Tamworth farmer Jan Hahn said high voltage power lines for the New England Renewable Energy Zone would ruin her family's property.
"On the way they are going to take six homes in Dungowan and make them unliveable, which is so unfair because those families will have to find somewhere else to live. They are just creating havoc and stress in our little farming community," she said.
"My husband's nephew lives across the river. He found out the other day that they are going through his place and he didn't know about it."
Thursday's rally followed similar events that have been held in Victoria and Europe in recent times.
