Agenda
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Event Schedule
- 9 September - Pre-conference Masterclass
- 10 September - Conference Day One
- 11 September - Conference Day Two
Day/Stream
- Day/Stream
- 9 September - Pre-conference Masterclass
- 10 September - Conference Day One
- 11 September - Conference Day Two
Session Type
- Session Type
- Break
- Panel Discussion
- Masterclass
Time
- Time
- Morning
- Midday
- Afternoon
- Night
08:20
10 September - Conference Day One
Registration and coffee
08:50
10 September - Conference Day One
Opening remarks from the Chair
Global perspectives and implications for energy sector in WA
09:00
10 September - Conference Day One
Welcome to country
09:15
10 September - Conference Day One
Powering WA’s future: certainty, investment, and the path to net zero
Speaker
Speakers
Hon Amber-Jade Sanderson
Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation
Government of Western Australia
Government of Western Australia
10 September - Conference Day One
Powering WA’s future: certainty, investment, and the path to net zero
09:15
Speaker
Speakers
Hon Amber-Jade Sanderson
Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation
Government of Western Australia
Government of Western Australia
09:30
10 September - Conference Day One
Reframing critical minerals competition to unlock Australia’s decarbonisation advantage
Speaker
Speakers
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Mary Burce Warlick
Deputy Executive Director
International Energy Agency (IEA)
International Energy Agency (IEA)
10 September - Conference Day One
Reframing critical minerals competition to unlock Australia’s decarbonisation advantage
09:30
- Competing for transition capital as energy, mining and critical minerals projects vie for investment
- Building downstream processing to capture more value from Australia’s critical minerals endowment
- Applying a geopolitical lens to decarbonisation to strengthen resilience, partnerships and long term advantage
Speaker
Speakers
Mary Burce Warlick
Deputy Executive Director
International Energy Agency (IEA)
International Energy Agency (IEA)
09:55
10 September - Conference Day One
Securing WA’s industrial future: the role of gas in a changing energy system
Speaker
Speakers
Aaron Hood
Managing Director
Wesfarmers Chemicals Energy & Fertilisers
Wesfarmers Chemicals Energy & Fertilisers
10 September - Conference Day One
Securing WA’s industrial future: the role of gas in a changing energy system
09:55
- Strengthening local manufacturing capability in a constrained energy market
- Decarbonising industrial operations while remaining globally competitive
- Unlocking long-term advantage through the energy transition
Speaker
Speakers
Aaron Hood
Managing Director
Wesfarmers Chemicals Energy & Fertilisers
Wesfarmers Chemicals Energy & Fertilisers
10:20
Break
10 September - Conference Day One
Morning tea
Optimising system design, market structure and investment signals
11:00
10 September - Conference Day One
Designing transmission at scale: What can WA learn from NSW REZ delivery?
Speaker
Speakers
Sally McMahon
Commissioner
Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)
Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)
10 September - Conference Day One
Designing transmission at scale: What can WA learn from NSW REZ delivery?
11:00
- How did NSW structure the REZ model, and what parts of that approach could work in WA?
- What does the ACEREZ model reveal about ownership, delivery and long-term operational accountability?
- Which contracting and cost recovery mechanisms have been most effective in supporting investment certainty and access?
- What practical lessons should WA take from NSW on sequencing, governance, risk allocation and delivery execution?
Speaker
Speakers
Sally McMahon
Commissioner
Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)
Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)
11:25
Panel Discussion
10 September - Conference Day One
Panel discussion: Examining the realities of delivering transmission
Speaker
Speakers
Sally McMahon
Commissioner
Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)
Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)
Kieron Hendicott
Acting Chief Executive / Deputy Chief Executive
Infrastructure WA
Infrastructure WA
Steve Armitage
Project Director
GenusPlus Group
GenusPlus Group
Dave Fyfe
Executive General Manager, Power & Communications
GenusPlus Group
GenusPlus Group
10 September - Conference Day One
Panel Discussion
Panel discussion: Examining the realities of delivering transmission
11:25
- What progress has the Clean Energy Link program made so far, and what does that reveal about the realities of delivering transmission in WA?
- How does the D&C contracting model work in practice across approvals, interfaces, outages and energisation windows?
- What delivery pressures have the greatest impact, from supply chain and workforce capability to regional logistics and live network integration?
- What lessons should be carried forward into future transmission builds and renewable energy zone developments?
Speaker
Speakers
Sally McMahon
Commissioner
Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)
Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)
Kieron Hendicott
Acting Chief Executive / Deputy Chief Executive
Infrastructure WA
Infrastructure WA
Steve Armitage
Project Director
GenusPlus Group
GenusPlus Group
Dave Fyfe
Executive General Manager, Power & Communications
GenusPlus Group
GenusPlus Group
12:05
Break
10 September - Conference Day One
Lunch
Delivery gap: ambition vs execution, and what’s next for WA
13:30
10 September - Conference Day One
Delivering scale efficient grid infrastructure to unlock value, and the role of the RTN in accelerating essential grid projects
Speaker
Speakers
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Rob Wilson
Executive Director, Western Australia and Resources
Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC)
Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC)
10 September - Conference Day One
Delivering scale efficient grid infrastructure to unlock value, and the role of the RTN in accelerating essential grid projects
13:30
- Reducing duplication by planning common-use corridors and staged network builds
- Accelerating renewable connection by bridging the timing gaps between transmission and generation/storage deployment
- Lowering whole-of-system cost by avoiding duplication and improving community outcomes
Speaker
Speakers
Rob Wilson
Executive Director, Western Australia and Resources
Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC)
Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC)
13:55
10 September - Conference Day One
Topic to be finalised
Who owns the energy transition in WA’s grid; utilities, technology, markets, or customers?
14:35
10 September - Conference Day One
Customer perspective: Accelerating distribution transformation through customer centricity
Speaker
Speakers
Cameron Owens
Head of DER & Engineering
Synergy
Synergy
10 September - Conference Day One
Customer perspective: Accelerating distribution transformation through customer centricity
14:35
- Expanding commercial and industrial flexibility to unlock new demand side capacity across Western Australia
- Integrating EVs into load flexibility plans to turn transport electrification into a system balancing asset
- Advancing WA distribution transformation by using customer centric network planning to bring more flexible demand onto the system
Speaker
Speakers
Cameron Owens
Head of DER & Engineering
Synergy
Synergy
14:55
Break
10 September - Conference Day One
Afternoon tea
15:35
10 September - Conference Day One
Utility perspective: Lessons from across Western Australia in enabling industry and delivering a stable and secure energy transition
Speaker
Speakers
Gary Bryant
Executive General Manager Power
APA Group
APA Group
10 September - Conference Day One
Utility perspective: Lessons from across Western Australia in enabling industry and delivering a stable and secure energy transition
15:35
- Expanding commercial and industrial flexibility to unlock new demand side capacity across Western Australia
- Integrating EVs into load flexibility plans to turn transport electrification into a system balancing asset
- Advancing WA distribution transformation by using customer centric network planning to bring more flexible demand onto the system
Speaker
Speakers
Gary Bryant
Executive General Manager Power
APA Group
APA Group
15:55
10 September - Conference Day One
Market perspective: Strengthening market operability by sharpening storage signals and system incentives
10 September - Conference Day One
Market perspective: Strengthening market operability by sharpening storage signals and system incentives
15:55
- Improving price and reliability signals so BESS long duration storage and firming capacity are rewarded more effectively
- Managing curtailment oversupply and volatility by aligning market settings with a more variable and decentralised system
- Coordinating storage flexible demand and renewable gas to support a more balanced and investable SWIS
16:15
Panel Discussion
10 September - Conference Day One
Panel discussion: Unlocking the full capability of inverter-based resources in a rapidly changing SWIS
Moderator
Brad McIlroy
Director, Entellus Energy; Strategic Projects Director
Nu-phase
Nu-phase
Speaker
Speakers
Gary Bryant
Executive General Manager Power
APA Group
APA Group
Martin Maticka
Group Manager, WA Operations
Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
Cameron Owens
Head of DER & Engineering
Synergy
Synergy
10 September - Conference Day One
Panel Discussion
Panel discussion: Unlocking the full capability of inverter-based resources in a rapidly changing SWIS
16:15
- How can WA unlock more value from inverter-based resources while maintaining system security as synchronous generation retires?
- What technical standards and performance requirements should WA prioritise to reflect its unique system characteristics?
- Which advanced inverter capabilities could make the biggest difference to system strength, stability and operability in the SWIS?
- How can WA accelerate renewable generation and storage integration without importing approaches that are not fit for local conditions?
Moderator
Brad McIlroy
Director, Entellus Energy; Strategic Projects Director
Nu-phase
Nu-phase
Speaker
Speakers
Gary Bryant
Executive General Manager Power
APA Group
APA Group
Martin Maticka
Group Manager, WA Operations
Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
Cameron Owens
Head of DER & Engineering
Synergy
Synergy
16:55
10 September - Conference Day One
Closing remarks from Chair
17:00
10 September - Conference Day One
Close of day one
18:30
10 September - Conference Day One
Energy WA Awards Gala Dinner
08:30
11 September - Conference Day Two
Welcome coffee
08:50
11 September - Conference Day Two
Opening remarks from the Chair
Leaning in to WA’s unique structural context: isolation, mining and regional activity
09:00
11 September - Conference Day Two
Navigating global gas volatility to strengthen WA’s LNG and domestic market position
Speaker
Speakers
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Bill Farren-Price
Head of Gas Research
Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
11 September - Conference Day Two
Navigating global gas volatility to strengthen WA’s LNG and domestic market position
09:00
- Reading global gas balances to sharpen WA project timing and market strategy (ie What does the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies scenario planning tell us about risks and opportunities in global gas markets?)
- Managing geopolitical shocks to protect LNG revenues and domestic gas security
- Tracking Asia’s transition pathways to capture WA’s next gas and decarbonisation opportunities
Speaker
Speakers
Bill Farren-Price
Head of Gas Research
Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
09:25
11 September - Conference Day Two
Scaling green energy in the Pilbara: turning decarbonisation into operational advantage
Speaker
Speakers
Warren Harris
Director Decarbonisation and Green Product Delivery
Fortescue
Fortescue
11 September - Conference Day Two
Scaling green energy in the Pilbara: turning decarbonisation into operational advantage
09:25
- Reading global gas balances to sharpen WA project timing and market strategy (ie What does the Oxford Institute of Energy Studies scenario planning tell us about risks and opportunities in global gas markets?)
- Managing geopolitical shocks to protect LNG revenues and domestic gas security
- Tracking Asia’s transition pathways to capture WA’s next gas and decarbonisation opportunities
Speaker
Speakers
Warren Harris
Director Decarbonisation and Green Product Delivery
Fortescue
Fortescue
Making regional energy work
09:50
11 September - Conference Day Two
Regional WA’s energy transition: reliable, flexible and sustainable
Speaker
Speakers
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Krystal Skinner
Chief Executive Officer
Horizon Power
Horizon Power
11 September - Conference Day Two
Regional WA’s energy transition: reliable, flexible and sustainable
09:50
Speaker
Speakers
Krystal Skinner
Chief Executive Officer
Horizon Power
Horizon Power
10:00
11 September - Conference Day Two
Proving off-grid intermittent renewable hydrogen production while demonstrating grid-independent operation with battery storage
Speaker
Speakers
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Laurent Trost
Chief Operations Officer
Yara
Yara
11 September - Conference Day Two
Proving off-grid intermittent renewable hydrogen production while demonstrating grid-independent operation with battery storage
10:00
Speaker
Speakers
Laurent Trost
Chief Operations Officer
Yara
Yara
10:10
11 September - Conference Day Two
Working with regional communities on improving network resilience
Speaker
Speakers
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Gair Landsborough
Acting Chief Executive Officer
Western Power
Western Power
11 September - Conference Day Two
Working with regional communities on improving network resilience
10:10
Speaker
Speakers
Gair Landsborough
Acting Chief Executive Officer
Western Power
Western Power
10:20
11 September - Conference Day Two
Morning tea
11:00
11 September - Conference Day Two
Panel discussion: Finding innovative, localised solutions to planning, markets and reliability in regional communities
Moderator
Matt McKee
Chief Researcher
Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE)
Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE)
Speaker
Speakers
Krystal Skinner
Chief Executive Officer
Horizon Power
Horizon Power
Laurent Trost
Chief Operations Officer
Yara
Yara
Gair Landsborough
Acting Chief Executive Officer
Western Power
Western Power
11 September - Conference Day Two
Panel discussion: Finding innovative, localised solutions to planning, markets and reliability in regional communities
11:00
- Tracking progress across the regions to share practical updates on projects already reshaping regional energy systems
- Examining how remote and regional networks are evolving through local generation storage microgrids and fit for purpose reliability solutions
- Understanding how load drivers regional areas are diversifying through mining decarbonisation new industrial demand and emerging data centre activity
Moderator
Matt McKee
Chief Researcher
Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE)
Beyond Zero Emissions (BZE)
Speaker
Speakers
Krystal Skinner
Chief Executive Officer
Horizon Power
Horizon Power
Laurent Trost
Chief Operations Officer
Yara
Yara
Gair Landsborough
Acting Chief Executive Officer
Western Power
Western Power
Scaling capability for the energy transition: can WA build skills fast enough?
11:40
11 September - Conference Day Two
Panel discussion: Rethinking the skills challenge and making smarter use of resources
Moderator
Chandra Sundareswaran
Director, Centre for Learning Enterprise & Partnership Engagement
Curtin University
Curtin University
Speaker
Speakers
Jo Christie
Executive Manager People
Western Power
Western Power
Jennie Milne
Executive General Manager People, Safety and Governance
Horizon Power
Horizon Power
11 September - Conference Day Two
Panel discussion: Rethinking the skills challenge and making smarter use of resources
11:40
- How can the sector build a workforce that is not just larger, but more capable and productive?
- What role should training providers, industry and technology leaders play in reshaping workforce development for the energy transition?
- How can AI and digital tools reduce pressure on scarce engineering and technical resources across planning, approvals and delivery?
- What will a high-performing energy workforce need to look like by 2035?
Moderator
Chandra Sundareswaran
Director, Centre for Learning Enterprise & Partnership Engagement
Curtin University
Curtin University
Speaker
Speakers
Jo Christie
Executive Manager People
Western Power
Western Power
Jennie Milne
Executive General Manager People, Safety and Governance
Horizon Power
Horizon Power
12:20
11 September - Conference Day Two
Lunch
What does a globally competitive WA look like?
13:20
11 September - Conference Day Two
Capturing more downstream energy value to turn WA’s strategic advantage into investment, jobs and green industry leadership
Speaker
Speakers
Masoud Abshar
Managing Director
Magellan Power
Magellan Power
11 September - Conference Day Two
Capturing more downstream energy value to turn WA’s strategic advantage into investment, jobs and green industry leadership
13:20
- Building more value onshore through batteries, storage systems and clean energy technology
- Turning the energy transition to strategic advantage into industry by converting WA capability into investment and jobs
- Strengthening green industry leadership by growing domestic supply chains, system capability and clean energy manufacturing capacity
Speaker
Speakers
Masoud Abshar
Managing Director
Magellan Power
Magellan Power
13:45
11 September - Conference Day Two
Building an energy system that supports WA’s future competitiveness
Speaker
Speakers
Oliver Nunn
Managing Director
Endgame Analytics
Endgame Analytics
11 September - Conference Day Two
Building an energy system that supports WA’s future competitiveness
13:45
- Challenging planning assumptions that understate uncertainty, so WA can avoid costly blind spots and design for real-world volatility
- Building a more flexible, reliable, and investable power system that supports industrial growth, electrification, and long-term price competitiveness
- Aligning generation, transmission, storage, and firming decisions with the needs of a globally competitive WA economy, not just average-case scenarios
- Redesigning regulatory and market frameworks to reward resilience, unlock capital, and keep Western Australia attractive for major energy users and investors
Speaker
Speakers
Oliver Nunn
Managing Director
Endgame Analytics
Endgame Analytics
Achieving social licence & community outcomes & communicating the message
14:10
11 September - Conference Day Two
Shifting from consultation to co-ownership to expand First Nations participation in energy projects
Speaker
Speakers
Troy Eaton
Co-Chair
Nyamal Aboriginal Corporation
Nyamal Aboriginal Corporation
11 September - Conference Day Two
Shifting from consultation to co-ownership to expand First Nations participation in energy projects
14:10
- Examining Fortescue’s Pilbara project through Nyamal concerns about consent and Traditional Owner-led decision-making
- Working with the First Nations Clean Energy Network to strengthen governance, negotiation capability and project literacy
- Building long-term economic independence through First Nations ownership, procurement, decision-making and renewable power rollouts
Speaker
Speakers
Troy Eaton
Co-Chair
Nyamal Aboriginal Corporation
Nyamal Aboriginal Corporation
14:35
11 September - Conference Day Two
Strengthening social licence by building energy literacy and countering misinformation in our communities
Speaker
Speakers
Ed Coper
Chief Executive Officer
Populares
Populares
11 September - Conference Day Two
Strengthening social licence by building energy literacy and countering misinformation in our communities
14:35
- Building trust by engaging communities early, clearly, and repeatedly so energy projects earn permission as well as approval
- Strengthening energy literacy by translating complex system changes into plain language that helps communities understand costs, reliability, and benefits
- Countering misinformation by using trusted local voices and evidence-led storytelling to reduce fear and protect support for the transition
Speaker
Speakers
Ed Coper
Chief Executive Officer
Populares
Populares
Planning firming, flexibility and gas for a secure transition
15:00
11 September - Conference Day Two
Gas enablement: moving supply and pipeline capacity from outlook to execution
Speaker
Speakers
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Rachael Smith
Executive General Manager, Commercial and Growth
Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG)
Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG)
11 September - Conference Day Two
Gas enablement: moving supply and pipeline capacity from outlook to execution
15:00
- Assessing the Perth Basin outlook and what speed to market really requires across approvals, investment decisions, offtake, processing and connection
- Testing whether enabling infrastructure is on track, and where gaps in processing, compression, storage and pipeline access could slow new supply
- Mapping pipeline augmentation timelines against emerging demand, peak reliability needs and domestic gas security risks
- Examining the practical realities of increasing pipeline capacity, including commercial triggers, outage planning, construction lead times and customer underwriting
Speaker
Speakers
Rachael Smith
Executive General Manager, Commercial and Growth
Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG)
Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG)
15:25
Break
11 September - Conference Day Two
Afternoon tea
16:05
11 September - Conference Day Two
Planning the transition points: keeping the SWIS secure as renewables scale
Speaker
Speakers
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Kirsten Rose
Executive General Manager WA and Strategy
Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
11 September - Conference Day Two
Planning the transition points: keeping the SWIS secure as renewables scale
16:05
- Using scenario-based planning to identify when and where the SWIS will need new system support
- Maintaining system strength and essential system services as synchronous generation retires
- Deploying flexible, dispatchable capacity to support reliability while enabling higher renewable penetration
Speaker
Speakers
Kirsten Rose
Executive General Manager WA and Strategy
Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
16:30
11 September - Conference Day Two
Panel discussion: What should be the strategic role and limits of gas in Western Australia’s transition?
Moderator
Gareth Wright
Head of Climate Strategy and Engagement
Woodside Energy
Woodside Energy
Speaker
Speakers
Patrick Peake
Senior Manager WA EMR
AGL | Perth Energy
AGL | Perth Energy
Oliver Nunn
Managing Director
Endgame Analytics
Endgame Analytics
Bill Farren-Price
Head of Gas Research
Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
Rachael Smith
Executive General Manager, Commercial and Growth
Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG)
Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG)
11 September - Conference Day Two
Panel discussion: What should be the strategic role and limits of gas in Western Australia’s transition?
16:30
- How much gas does the system actually need as coal exits and renewable penetration rises without defaulting to oversized long lived infrastructure?
- How should gas be used as a transitional reliability backstop while storage electrification and other firming options take on a greater role?
- How should pipeline and generation investment be sized against realistic long term demand to avoid stranded assets and misplaced capital?
- Who should bear utilisation and stranded asset risk before new gas infrastructure is underwritten by customers or taxpayers?
Moderator
Gareth Wright
Head of Climate Strategy and Engagement
Woodside Energy
Woodside Energy
Speaker
Speakers
Patrick Peake
Senior Manager WA EMR
AGL | Perth Energy
AGL | Perth Energy
Oliver Nunn
Managing Director
Endgame Analytics
Endgame Analytics
Bill Farren-Price
Head of Gas Research
Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
Oxford Institute for Energy Studies
Rachael Smith
Executive General Manager, Commercial and Growth
Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG)
Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG)
17:10
11 September - Conference Day Two
Closing remarks from Chair
17:15
11 September - Conference Day Two
Close EWA 2026
17:15
11 September - Conference Day Two
Sponsored networking drinks
Masterclass
9 September - Pre-conference Masterclass
Masterclass A: Western Australia energy industry boot camp
9 September - Pre-conference Masterclass
Masterclass
Masterclass A: Western Australia energy industry boot camp
Specifically for professionals new to Western Australia’s energy sector, this day provides an accessible overview of the key organisations, regulatory bodies and market participants shaping the state’s unique energy landscape.
Masterclass
9 September - Pre-conference Masterclass
Masterclass B: Overcoming technology and operational challenges for Battery Energy Storage Systems
9 September - Pre-conference Masterclass
Masterclass
Masterclass B: Overcoming technology and operational challenges for Battery Energy Storage Systems
This masterclass is designed to address the practical challenges of operating BESS assets in the Australian market.
Day/Stream
- Day/Stream
- 9 September - Pre-conference Masterclass
- 10 September - Conference Day One
- 11 September - Conference Day Two
- 9 September - Pre-conference Masterclass
- 10 September - Conference Day One
- 11 September - Conference Day Two