energy in wa: opportunities & challenges

22nd Energy in Western Australia Conference

Energy in WA: Opportunties & challenges

24 - 25 August 2023
The Ritz Carlton, Perth
Hon. Bill Johnston addressing conference attendees at The Ritz Carlton, Perth

About Energy Week

Energy Week is an annual program of events brought to you by the Perth branch of the Australian Institute of Energy (AIE) and Energy Policy WA.

The cornerstone event of Energy Week is the annual Energy in WA Conference. Energy Week events are developed by industry, for industry, with the aim of bringing together a diverse group of energy professionals with expert national and international speakers from across the sector, including energy retailers, consultants, energy providers, and government services.

Our events offer the perfect opportunity to network while keeping pace with emerging trends and issues in the sector. A range of in-person and online events ensure there is something for everyone, with several free events also on offer.

when

Monday to Friday
21 to 25 August, 2023

2023 conference

Speakers

We have a great line-up of international, national and local speakers for this year’s Energy in WA Conference, with more speakers to be confirmed soon. Check-out the experts who are confirmed for this year’s inspiring and informative event.

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Hon. Bill Johnston
Hon. Bill Johnston
Minister for Mines and Petroleum, Energy, Hydrogen Industry and Industrial Relations
Parliament of Western Australia
Western Australia

The Hon. Bill Johnston is Western Australia's Minister for Mines and Petroleum, Energy, Corrective Services and Industrial Relations. He has been a Minister for the McGowan Labor Government since

Alan Finkel
Alan Finkel
Chair, Corporate Advisor and Author
Stile Education

Dr Alan Finkel AC is a neuroscientist, engineer, entrepreneur and philanthropist.

Mary Burce Warlick
Mary Burce Warlick
Deputy Executive Director
International Energy Agency
International

A retired career diplomat and former U.S. Ambassador to Serbia, Ms. Warlick has held a variety of senior leadership positions at the U.S. Department of State, National Security Council and Department of Defense, serving in Washington and abroad.

Professor Rod Sims AO
Professor Rod Sims AO
Chair of the Superpower Institute
Professor, Australian National University

Rod Sims AO is Chair of the Superpower Institute, a non-profit organisation dedicated to Australia moving quickly to,and benefitting from, the transition to net zero emissions.

Michael Gunner
Michael Gunner
Director, Australia West
Fortescue Future Industries

Michael Gunner is the Director of Australia West, leading Fortescue Future Industries’ (FFI) work across Western Australia, South Australia, and the Northern Territory.

Prof. Yolande Strengers
Prof. Yolande Strengers
Professor of Digital Technology and Society
Emerging Technologies Research Lab, Monash University
Melbourne, Victoria

Yolande Strengers is a digital sociologist and human-computer interaction professor investigating the sustainability, energy and inclusion impacts of digital and smart technologies, including emerging forms of AI.

Jai Thomas
Jai Thomas
Deputy Director General - Coordinator of Energy
Energy Policy WA (DMIRS)
Western Australia

Jai Thomas is the Deputy Director General - Coordinator of Energy, a statutory role that leads Energy Policy WA. As Coordinator of Energy, he is also the designated Hazard Management Agency for disruption to electricity, natural gas or liquid fuel supplies in Western Australia.

Fabian Le Gay Brereton
Fabian Le Gay Brereton
Chief Executive Officer
Gridcog

Fabian Le Gay Brereton is a passionate clean energy entrepreneur and the Co-Founder and CEO of Gridcog, a groundbreaking startup dedicated to the clean energy transition.

Kate Ryan
Kate Ryan
Executive General Manager WA & Strategy
AEMO
Western Australia

Kate Ryan is responsible for leading the Western Australia function and AEMO’s corporate strategy. Kate joined AEMO in February 2022, and has extensive knowledge and experience built over decades in the energy industry.

Pierluigi Mancarella
Pierluigi Mancarella
Chair Professor of Electrical Power Systems
The University of Melbourne
Victoria

Pierluigi Mancarella is Chair Professor of Electrical Power Systems at the University of Melbourne, Australia, and Professor of Smart Energy Systems at the University of Manchester, UK.

Ruby Heard
Ruby Heard
Electrical Engineer and Energy Consultant
Director, Alinga Energy Consulting
Queensland

Ruby Heard is a versatile and ambitious entrepreneur and electrical engineer with global experience and an affinity for sustainability. She began her career with Arup designing electrical and lighting systems for iconic buildings in Melbourne. In 2015 she transferred to San Francisco to follow her passion into the renewable energy sector, designing complex solar arrays and microgrids for Google campuses. 

Sally McMahon
Sally McMahon
Commissioner
AEMC

Sally McMahon is an economist with more than 25 years’ experience in energy and industry reform programs.

David Fyfe
David Fyfe
Chief Executive Officer
Synergy
Western Australia

David has more than 20 years' experience across the energy and telecommunications industries, including holding executive roles in operations, commercial sales, asset management and business development.

Sam Barbaro
Sam Barbaro
CEO
Western Power
Western Australia

Sam was appointed Western Power CEO in August 2022. He has been a member of the Executive team since 2014 serving firstly as the Executive Manager of the Governance & Assurance and then the Executive Manager Asset Operations.

Bethwyn Cowcher
Bethwyn Cowcher
Division Director
Macquarie Group
Western Australia

Supporting the energy transition. Specialties include strategy development, commercial negotiation, renewable projects, gas, electricity, hydrogen, asset sales and acquisitions.

Naoki Takahashi
Naoki Takahashi
Chief Representative
Japan Bank for International Cooperation

Naoki Takahashi is Chief Representative of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation's Sydney Office

Stephanie Unwin
Stephanie Unwin
CEO
Horizon Power
Western Australia

As Chief Executive Officer of Horizon Power, Stephanie Unwin leads Australia’s only vertically integrated energy utility and is responsible for the largest geographical catchment of any Australian power provider, covering an area more than one quarter of the Australian continent.

Katie McKenzie
Katie McKenzie
Director
EY
Western Australia

Katie is an energy policy, regulation and stakeholder relations specialist pursuing her passion for a clean, consumer-centric energy transition.

Prof. Lachlan Blackhall
Prof. Lachlan Blackhall
Entrepreneurial Fellow and Head, Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program
The Australian National University

Professor Lachlan Blackhall is Entrepreneurial Fellow and Head, Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program at The Australian National University.

Sarah McNamara
Sarah McNamara
Chief Executive
Australian Energy Council

Sarah is an is an industry leader with more than a decade of experience working with policy and regulatory frameworks across the resources and energy sectors.

Jenness Gardner
Jenness Gardner
Chief Executive Officer
Economic Regulation Authority

Jenness Gardner is an experienced strategic leader working in the energy and resources sector leading economic policy development, commercial negotiations and large scale project development for the state.

Martin Wilkes
Martin Wilkes
Managing Director
RISC

Martin Wilkes is the Managing Director of RISC, an independent International Energy Advisory company headquartered in Perth, Western Australia.

Mark Jeisman
Mark Jeisman
WA Business Development Manager
JET Charge

As the WA Business Development Manager at JET Charge, Mark has been privileged to be part of the team delivering landmark projects including the State Government's WA EV Network.

Scott Hamilton
Scott Hamilton
VP of Origination
Xodus
Scotland

Scott is VP of Origination at Xodus with a remit to update and change the company’s business model as it relates to the offshore wind sector.

Cecily Rawlinson
Cecily Rawlinson
Director
WA Cyber Security Innovation Hub

Cecily Rawlinson was appointed in July 2021 as Director of the WA AustCyber Innovation Hub, recently rebranded as CyberWest.

Chris Alexander
Chris Alexander
Member
WA Expert Consumer Panel
Western Australia

Chris is a member of the Western Australian Expert Consumer Panel and Market Advisory Panel, where he advocates for consumers on a range of network regulatory, retail market and energy transition issues.

Jacinda Papps
Jacinda Papps
General Manager, Regulatory Affairs and Compliance
Alinta Energy
Western Australia

Jacinda Papps is a regulatory, policy and government relations professional with over 20 years’ experience in energy markets across multiple jurisdictions, including 15 years in Western Australia.

Bobby Ditric
Bobby Ditric
Principal
Lantau Group
Western Australia

Bobby Ditric has over 15 years’ experience in energy sector market operation, reform and development. He has extensive expertise in market design and regulatory instruments for reliability of supply, including capacity mechanisms/markets, scarcity payments, and reserve capacity instruments. He has advised on direct sales transactions frameworks (governance and market design implications) as well as the corresponding market rules and contracting instruments. He has advised commercial, regulatory, and policy stakeholders on crucial market reforms in the Western Australian, Eastern Australian, Northern Territory, Singapore, Peninsular Malaysian, and Oman electricity sectors. Prior to joining TLG he worked in a governmental electricity sector reform unit and before that was involved in the settlement of transactions in the WA Electricity Market (WEM) including review of the associated complex mathematical and financial calculations, verification of energy market data integrity, and troubleshooting market database issues. Bobby holds a BCom from Curtin University, Australia.

Greg Ruthven
Greg Ruthven
Associate Director
Rennie Advisory

Greg Ruthven is an Associate Director with Rennie Advisory, with a focus on regulation, reform and strategy in the transitioning energy markets

Holly Taylor
Holly Taylor
Head of Strategy and Partnerships
Energy Efficiency Council

Holly leads a team that focuses on strategic initiatives that build the energy management market, facilitating the realisation of an equitable, prosperous, net zero economy.

Justin Nash
Justin Nash
Business Development Director for Hydrogen in WA
BP

Justin Nash heads up the Geraldton Export-Scale Renewable Investment (GERI) Project, H2Kwinana and is a director of bp’s Kwinana Refinery subsidiary.

Greg Allen
Greg Allen
Director Project Development & Deal Origination
Vestas

Greg is part Vestas’ development team and is responsible for project origination and development activities in Western Australia and South Australia.

Dr Kari Dahlgren
Dr Kari Dahlgren
Research Fellow, Department of Human Centred Computing
Monash University
Victoria

Dr. Kari Dahlgren is a Research Fellow in the Emerging Technologies Research Lab at Monash University. Kari is a social anthropologist and ethnographer interested in the social and ethical aspects of energy production and consumption in Australia.

Fareed Kaviani
Fareed Kaviani
Research Fellow
Emerging Technologies Research Lab - Monash University
Victoria

Fareed is a multidisciplinary social scientist. He is currently a research fellow at the Emerging Technologies Research Lab (ETRL) focusing on energy scenarios and digital technology futures. Additionally, Fareed is a research

Prof. Peta Ashworth
Prof. Peta Ashworth
Director - Curtin Institute for Energy Transition
Curtin University
Western Australia

Professor Peta Ashworth OAM is the Director, of the Curtin Institute for Energy Transition (CIET). Prior to joining Curtin University, Professor Ashworth was the Director of the Andrew N. Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership, and Chair in Sustainable Energy Futures at The University of Queensland (UQ).

Janica Lukas
Janica Lukas
Distribution Grid Strategy & Planning Manager
Western Power
Western Australia

As Western Power’s Distribution Grid Strategy & Planning Manager, Janica Lukas is charged with planning for the rapidly changing future of the distribution network of Western Australia’s South West Interconnected System. Janica is responsible for distribution network strategies and the scoping of investment proposals with a project pipeline of $40M-$50M per year.

Kieran Rayney
Kieran Rayney
Assistant Director, Electricity Network Regulation
Energy Policy WA (DMIRS)
Western Australia

Kieran Rayney is Assistant Director, Electricity Network Regulation at Energy Policy WA (DMIRS), where he is leading the implementation of the State Government’s Energy Governance and Legislation Reforms and advising on network regulation matters.

Lesley Walker
Lesley Walker
Executive General Manager, Customer
Synergy
Western Australia

Lesley joined Synergy in January 2022 and has considerable prior experience with customer engagement in the banking and finance sectors.

Energy Week 2023

Agenda & Conference Program

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12:30 pm
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1:00 pm

Digital Energy Futures Documentary Screening – WA Launch

Free event
Online Screening
Free event
Free event
Free event

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

Imagine a future life where your smartphone, watch, airpods and your electric car were automatically charged without you even knowing. What would it be like to give up control to an external system which optimises your energy use, decides when a robotic vacuum cleans your home and even when your electricity is available. Or are these even realistic or desirable futures?

This film explores how people living in Australia see their future lives in a country where increasingly extreme weather, concerns about public health, growing levels of technological automation, and a society dependent on digital media are set to create uncertainty about demand for electricity in the future. The filmmakers follow the everyday lives of five households to ask how they are inventing their own ways to live with emerging technologies, imagining and planning for their own futures in ways that might complicate the ambitions of industry and policy makers.

About the creators
4:00 pm
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5:00 pm

Energy Humanities

Free event
Webinar
Free event
Free event
Free event

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

Energy humanities is a field of research with highly relevant and timely practical applications. Scholars and practitioners investigate how to make energy transitions just and inclusive, for all people and living beings, everywhere. Critical contributions from the social sciences, humanities, and the arts help us understand who benefits and who experiences harm from decarbonising our societies, whose values and visions count and whose are sidelined, how disagreements are negotiated, and how fairer worlds can be imagined and joint visions pursued.

In this webinar, Professor Petra Tschakert will draw attention to what often remains out of sight in discussions around just energy transitions, namely inequities, structural disadvantage, and uneven positions of power when embarking on energy futures, and the human and non-human winners and losers they entail. These are essential questions we need to engage with in order to approach the needed ethical, lifestyle, organisational, and policy choices we make, now, at this critical junction on the path to renewables and net zero emissions.

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10:00 am
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10:45 am

From Social Licence to Social Performance: why a more holistic approach will secure better outcomes for everyone

Free event
Webinar + Q&A
Free event
Free event
Free event

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

The concept of a “social licence to operate” (SLO) has dominated the public discussion around a just energy transition, leaving companies to grapple with the idea of securing approval from their host communities and others outside their organisations. This presentation will discuss the limitations of the social licence to operate approach and advocate for a deliberate move away from social licence to operate, to the more robust and holistic approach known as social performance. Social performance supports more sustainable developments through understanding local context, comprehensively assessing risks and opportunities, supporting meaningful engagement and working with communities to secure mutual benefits. A social performance approach starts from the earliest planning phases of a project and persists all the way through to decommissioning and closure. It is a continuous process with regular opportunities for review and improvement. Proponents who commit to social performance are focused on transparency and better outcomes for their projects and communities. The scale and pace of the energy transition presents a clear opportunity to apply the key principles of social performance. The presentation will provide an overview of how this can be done and include some case studies for discussion.

30 minute webinar followed by 15 minute Q&A.

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1:00 pm
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2:50 pm

CSIRO Energy Innovation Labs

Free event
Tour
Free event
Free event
Free event

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

Come check out the ground-breaking energy innovations and meet the researchers behind the science as we tour the energy labs at the Australian Resource Research Centre.

The tour will include three laboratories:

Geomechanical laboratory: a world class research facility that undertakes Geomechanical testing of core samples for science in the Energy sector.

Monitoring with fibres: a laboratory developing technologies to monitor and verify that the CO2 is permanently stored in the subsurface. These technologies rely on sensing instrumentation deployed on the field either at the surface or underground.

CCS research virtual reality: CSIRO’s WA-based energy team is at the forefront of researching methods for direct air capture carbon capture, carbon use technology, storage and monitoring. Go behind the scenes and meet the scientists working to discover how these technologies can contribute to a low carbon future.

Don’t miss out. The tour is limited to 40 people.

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Location:

Australian Resources Research Centre
26 Dick Perry Ave, Kensington, WA

Free parking available

Proudly hosted by

CSIRO logo
10:15 am
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10:45 am

Digital Energy Futures Documentary Screening – WA Launch

Free event
Online Screening
Free event
Free event
Free event

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

Imagine a future life where your smartphone, watch, airpods and your electric car were automatically charged without you even knowing. What would it be like to give up control to an external system which optimises your energy use, decides when a robotic vacuum cleans your home and even when your electricity is available. Or are these even realistic or desirable futures?

This film explores how people living in Australia see their future lives in a country where increasingly extreme weather, concerns about public health, growing levels of technological automation, and a society dependent on digital media are set to create uncertainty about demand for electricity in the future. The filmmakers follow the everyday lives of five households to ask how they are inventing their own ways to live with emerging technologies, imagining and planning for their own futures in ways that might complicate the ambitions of industry and policy makers.

About the creators
11:00 am
-
12:30 pm

Digital Energy Future Panel

Free event
Webinar + Panel
Free event
Free event
Free event

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

What will our future lives look like with energy and emerging technologies? How do households and consumers see their own futures unfolding? How do experts and scientists imagine and envision energy visions? And what do we need to know now, to plan for and anticipate possible energy futures?

In this webinar panel presentation, the Monash Digital Energy Futures research team will present their ‘Scenarios for Future Living’, based on four years of research with Australian households. The four scenarios (Creature Comforts, Sharing the Load, Hunkering Down, and Sunrises and Siestas), set in the years 2030 and 2050, provide plausible and speculative visions of everyday life likely to impact on energy demand and forecasting.

The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with Western Australian energy sector experts and leaders as they discuss findings from the Digital Energy Futures research project and implications the scenarios present for WA energy consumers and the energy sector.

Meet our moderator and panelists
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5:30 pm
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7:30 pm

Powering Up - Conversations & Book Signing with former Australian Chief Scientist Alan Finkel

Free event
Book Signing
Free event
Free event
Free event

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

The clean energy transition is humanity’s biggest ever economic challenge. In his book Powering Up, former Australian chief scientist Alan Finkel shares his insights for leading the way in the global transition to clean energy.

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Hosted by
Curtin’s Institute for Energy Transition 

Location
State Library of Western Australia Theatre
Ground Floor, 25 Francis Street, Perth WA 6000

8:00 am
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Conference registration opens. Tea and coffee on arrival

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

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Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
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8:30 am
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Conference opening

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

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Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
8:45 am
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Ministerial address

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
9:10 am
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MC Introduction

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

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Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
9:25 am
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Fortescue: Towards Real Zero

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

As we rapidly advance towards key climate threshold tipping points, Fortescue, a proud West Australian company, is spearheading the push to Real Zero - no fossil fuels and where possible, no offsets. Michael Gunner will discuss this ambitious remit - from investments in the technologies to decarbonize hard-to-abate sectors to building a strong global portfolio of renewable energy projects – and the opportunities this presents.

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9:55 am
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10:25 am

Raising our sights for continuing prosperity

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

Western Australia is likely better placed than any other region on Earth to benefit from the transition to net zero emissions.  It needs, however, to raise its sights to take advantage of the huge opportunities to contribute to lowering emissions globally through mining and mineral processing in particular.  The key is for Australia and Western Australia to integrate climate policy into the wider economic narrative. Discussion of the economy must always give a central role to zero carbon issues, and discussion of climate issues must focus on the complete range of economic levers that need to be pulled and the benefits that will flow.  Major policy reforms underway globally, such as the US Inflation Reduction Act and the European Green Deal, make this all the more important.

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10:30 am
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Morning tea

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
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11:00 am
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Private sector investment to meet emission reduction targets

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

In an ever-changing environment, Western Australia’s history of innovation places it at the forefront to be part of accelerating the energy transition. There is a role for the private sector to work collaboratively across all sectors to support reduction in emissions via deployment of multiple technologies and creation of new industries.

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11:30 am
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Japan's hydrogen strategy and JBIC's financing support

Conference
International
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

Mr. Takahashi will share information on the latest hydrogen strategy of Japan including Kishida Administration’s Green Transformation (GX) policy and upcoming revised Basic Hydrogen Strategy. He will also explain JBIC’s approach to promote the government strategy including seamless financing supports from upstream to downstream utilizing various financial tools for a global value chain development as well as JBIC’s mid-term business plan, new finance facility and establishment of dedicated team.

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12:00 pm
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Energy Transition and Energy Security- Can we have both?

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

Martin Wilkes will discuss the achievements made in reducing energy poverty around the world and look at how reducing emissions may impact our ability to continue to provide the sustained and increasing demands of energy supply.

As we transition away from carbon intensive energy production to low and zero emissions technologies, what are the issues that have already been discovered, and can we mitigate these whilst still reducing emissions? The presentation will provide examples of progress made, known issues, and open discussion for debate around mitigation options and future choices.

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12:25 pm
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Lunch

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

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Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
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1:25 pm
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Technologies and approaches to support the transformation

Conference
Panel discussion
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

The energy transformation involves greater decentralisation of energy generation and changing patterns of energy consumption. From virtual power plants, new battery technologies, to vehicle to grid solutions, our panellists will discuss how these technologies can help transform our power system, reduce energy costs and lower emissions from the energy sector.

2:25 pm
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Coordinating toward a net zero future

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

Jai Thomas will discuss the State’s Energy Transformation Strategy and the pathway to a highly renewable future, which requires balancing reliability, affordability and the State’s emission reduction ambitions. From remote areas to the middle of our cities, Jai will take you through the energy transformation requirements across our large state and its varied supply arrangements as we continue to work toward net zero by 2050.

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2:50 pm
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Afternoon tea

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

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Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
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3:10 pm
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Synergy's decarbonisation strategy

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

Dave Fyfe will discuss the energy transformation, investment and journey to decarbonisation.  The SWIS will support a greater mix of generation types, taking advantage of battery flexibility to support more renewables in the community.  Synergy will need to transform its business to deliver on the program of work and continue its support of communities as they transition to renewable energy.

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3:35 pm
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Transitioning with consumers front-and-centre

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

The energy transformation is progressing at pace, as we strive to achieve our emissions targets while making the most of technological advancements.  Consumers are at the core of all energy services, but how well are we considering their expectations during the transition?  Many programs are seeking for consumers to play a role in providing services to help us decarbonise and manage power system security and reliability, but does this allow consumers to participate equitably?  Chris Alexander will discuss the need for a consumer centric energy transition pathway in the context of a diverse customer base and ambitious industry goals.

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4:00 pm
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First Nations Clean Energy Strategy – Maximising opportunities for WA First Nations communities and businesses through energy

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

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Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

As Western Australia rapidly transitions to renewable energy, large areas of First Nations land will be required to support the shift. This creates opportunities for new First Nations economic development and for jobs, businesses and the economy. Many First Nations communities also experience significant energy insecurity and are on the forefront of climate change. The First Nations Clean Energy Network was launched to bring together communities, industry and government to help get the settings right and to ensure First Nations participate in and benefit from the renewable energy transition. A year after the announcement of the First Nations Clean Energy Strategy - a commitment by all Australian Energy Ministers under the Commonwealth's National Energy Transformation Partnership - this presentation will consider emerging trends and discuss opportunities for industry and governments to build First Nations' partnerships in renewable energy transition.

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4:25 pm
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Cyber security threats (and opportunities?) in Australia's energy sector

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

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Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

Electricity supply is a key for all modern economies, supporting a range of critical services including health care, the internet and transportation. The secure supply of electricity is therefore of paramount importance.  

Digitalisation is helping transform the electricity system bringing many benefits for businesses and consumers but, at the same time, increased connectivity and automation which could raise risks to cybersecurity and the threat of cyberattacks.  

Cecily Rawlinson will share key insights on the threats and opportunities cyber security presents in the Australian energy sector.

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4:50 pm
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Closing remarks

Conference
Conference
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Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
6:00 pm
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10:00 pm

Energy in WA Awards Dinner

Awards Dinner
Awards Dinner
Awards Dinner
Awards Dinner

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

Join us for a memorable evening as we wine, dine and celebrate the people behind Western Australia’s energy sector. Brought to you by the Australian Institute of Energy Perth and the City of Perth, this is our seventh celebration of excellence.

The AIE Energy in WA Awards Dinner is included in the 2-day conference ticket. Alternatively, if you are not attending the conference, you can purchase tickets to the AIE Energy in WA Awards Dinner. Ticket sales will be opening shortly. Sign up to our newsletter (via the Register your interest button below) and follow us on LinkedIn to get notified when tickets go on sale.

Venue Details

Venue: Fraser’s Restaurant, Kings Park
Address: 60 Fraser Ave, West Perth, WA 6005
Date: Thursday 24 August 2023
Pre-drinks: 6pm and Dinner: 7pm

2023 Categories

Energy Professional of the Year
Advancing Women in Energy
Young Energy Professional of the Year (35 and under)
Energy Innovation of the Year
Leading Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Energy

Nominations for the 2023 Awards close on 17 July 2023. For enquiries, please contact Benjamin Meakins at registrationswa@aie.org.au.

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Proudly sponsored by

The City of Perth is very proud to sponsor this year’s WA Energy Awards Dinner highlighting outstanding performance across the state and reinforcing Perth as global leader across the energy sector.

7:00 am
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8:45 am

Women in Energy and Young Energy Professional Breakfast- Role of ESG and social licence to operate in large-scale decarbonisation efforts

Breakfast
Breakfast
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Breakfast

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

This breakfast panel will explore the decarbonization activities of large-scale electricity consumers, with a particular focus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) targets and their commitment to the Social License to Operate (SLO). The importance of ESG and SLO has become increasingly prominent in the operations of large electricity consumers. These organizations strive to reduce carbon emissions, invest in renewable energy projects and other technologies, and align their energy consumption with environmental stewardship. Our event will delve into the efforts and achievements of key industry players supporting large-scale decarbonization efforts.

Tickets can be purchased for $45 as part of your conference ticket or separately for those not attending the conference or purchasing member tickets ($30).

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9:00 am
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MC Introduction

Conference
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Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
9:05 am
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Powering Up – Australia opportunity to become a green energy global leader

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

The clean energy transition is humanity’s biggest ever economic challenge. Join former Australian chief scientist, Dr Alan Finkel, as he discusses his new book, Powering Up, which shows how to remove the barriers that prevent nations transforming from petrostate to electrostate.  Dr Finkel considers the entire supply chain, from raw materials through power infrastructure, the workforce, transportation and household customers. He reveals the outlines of a new geo-economic order and explains in persuasive, practical terms how we can get there.  If governments, investors, industry and consumers get this right over the next three decades, history will judge us as the generation who ushered in the Electric Age and helped to save the planet. The world will be transformed – with Australia, if we seize the opportunity, as a global leader.

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9:30 am
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Risk-Aware Flexible Integrated System Planning

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Conference
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Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

The critical step to a zero emissions economy is said to be electrification. However, with consumers starting to feel the cost of decarbonisation and the huge uncertainty we face in energy system and market developments, it is essential that wide-scale investment in grid infrastructure is carried out considering the optionality value and risk reduction that new planning methodologies could unlock. Professor Mancarella will present new planning methodologies that, by both introducing investment flexibility and deploying the operational flexibility available in new technologies such as storage, could enable reduction in both expected cost and risk

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10:00 am
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State of global energy markets, acceleration towards 1.5°C and key challenges for the clean energy transition

Conference
Conference
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Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

The IEA has long watched energy developments compiling energy statistics from around the globe, conducting research and energy modelling analysis for the evolution of the global energy system. Mary Burce Warlick will discuss the status of international trade in fuels and energy, ongoing efforts to accelerate the energy sector decarbonisation towards the 1.5C goal, and the associated key challenges.

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10:30 am
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Morning tea

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Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
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11:00 am
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Transitioning away from gas: A case study in Esperance

Conference
Conference
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Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

In late 2021, the local Esperance community were faced with a significant challenge.  Its local gas distribution and retailer was exiting the market. With no viable prospects for a replacement provider, Horizon Power and the WA Government swung into action. What resulted was the electrification of a regional community in 14 months, and during a world-wide pandemic!  Esperance may have been the first, but it won’t be the last community to make this transition. Horizon Power’s Stephanie Unwin will share the successes and lessons learnt from this exciting project.

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11:30 am
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Decision making in uncertain times

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Panel discussion
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Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
12:30 pm
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Lunch

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
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1:30 pm
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Lessons for the new market

Conference
Conference
Conference
Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

As the SWIS prepares to go-live with co-optimised energy and essential system service markets in October this year, Bobby Ditric will draw from the experience of other such markets in the region to provide operational and commercial insights.

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1:55 pm
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New fuels for hard to abate sectors

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Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

The Kwinana Renewable Fuels project at bp Kwinana energy hub is the first of five biofuel projects that bp has planned globally. It forms part of a multi-billion dollar investment by bp to produce sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil, also known as renewable diesel). These biofuels support the decarbonisation of aviation and hard to abate sectors like heavy industry. First production is planned in 2026. The project will also integrate with bp’s existing import terminal operations at the energy hub and the H2Kwinana green hydrogen project, which is currently being assessed in a feasibility study.

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2:20 pm
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2:45 pm

Energy efficiency's wellbeing bonus

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Conference

Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.

From improved health and comfort, lower energy bills, and less existential dread about individual impact on the climate, energy efficiency can be a panacea for improving household wellbeing. But how can we ensure that government, industry and civil society are working collaboratively to drive energy efficiency gains across both new and existing homes? Join us to find out.

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2:20 pm
25
August
2023
2:45 pm
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Afternoon tea

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Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
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3:05 pm
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Opportunities in wind

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Panel discussion
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Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
4:05 pm
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Closing remarks

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Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
4:10 pm
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Closing cocktail function

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Conference
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Event details coming soon.

Events will be added as the Energy Week program develops. Register your interest and we'll keep you updated on Energy Week events, speakers and news.
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FAQs

Have a question that we haven't answered in our FAQs? 

Can I share my ticket with a colleague?

Yes. Your ticket is entirely transferable. You can attend your favourite sessions and then hand your pass to a colleague to attend theirs. Just remember, only one person per ticket for each session.

Can I cancel my ticket?

We accept cancellation requests 1 month prior to the conference with a $110 administration fee. No refunds are provided within 30 days of the conference.

I’d like to present at the Conference, or I know someone who I’d like to recommend.

Excellent! Please reach out to the Conference Organiser, The Association Specialists at conference@energywa.org.au with your idea.

Are there discounts?

Yes! We also offer discounts for AIE members. Please see our tickets page for more information.

Can I bring a partner/friend to the Conference dinner?

Yes. Individual tickets can be purchased for the Conference dinner. Please see our tickets page for more information.

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