Mid and East Antrim Borough Council's Energy Group will work with the Department to press forward with the plans.
A Council delegation, headed up by Alderman Billy Ashe MBE, Chair of the Energy Group, has already met with senior officials from the Department to move forward with a policy, while lobbying has taken place at Westminster level by the Council's Chief Executive, Anne Donaghy.
Northern Ireland has exceeded a target for 40% of electricity from renewables by 2020, however, to achieve net zero, any future strategic direction will need to include the existing energy mix and how that can be reshaped.
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The DfE recently launched a Call for Evidence as part of a public engagement process to inform any proposals, with the intention to have a draft strategy for presentation to the new Minister for the Economy, Diane Dodds, by the end of this year.
Alderman Ashe said: "Energy is a significant issue for Council and the wider Mid and East Antrim economy. Any government policy would have considerable implication for the local area and it is important that we engage with the Department for the Economy's consultation.
"We are home to two of Northern Ireland's biggest power generation sites at Kilroot and Ballylumford, so it is essential we reflect the need to protect our local economy while ensuring the proper infrastructure is in place to allow domestic users the opportunity to look at renewable and sustainable energy sources which are affordable and accessible.
"I would encourage all interested stakeholders, elected members, businesses and individuals to respond to the Energy Strategy consultation and look forward to hearing from the policy makers at the forthcoming workshop."
