Conference Day Two
Thursday 25 June 2015
Click here for the Post-Conference In-depth Learning Sessions
08:30 Welcome coffee
08:50 Opening remarks from the Chair
Robert Pritchard, Executive Director, Energy Policy Institute of Australia
Examining the challenges and opportunities in regulation and government policies
09:00 The NEM - a great co-operative federalism?
- Reviewing the results of reform implementations in the NEM
- Getting CoAG to work - insights into the problems and challenges
- How to create more cooperation in the future for the benefit of all stakeholders
John Ryan, Associate Secretary, Department of Industry
09:30 Adressing the challenges in regulating a rapidly evolving energy market
- Analysing the current problems and challenges of a rapidly changing energy market
- Reducing regulatory complexity and streamlining interstate energy regulation to increase competitiveness and efficiency
- Why the evolution of the energy market creates a need for new policies and regulation
- How can all regulators learn from past experiences when developing new regulations?
Ron Ben-David, Chairman, Essential Services Commission
10:00 Gaining insights into how government policy can provide long term stability for the energy market
- Discussing how to avoid regulation inconsistencies between various state and federal levels in order to create long term investment stability
- Designing market transparency to encourage potential investors
- Privatisation - more efficient and cost effective electricity production?
Tony Wood, Energy Program Director, Grattan Institute
10:30 Morning tea
Addressing the need for a new retailers approach to meet prosumer expectations
11:00 Analysing the transformation from a centralised into a decentralised electricity market
- What are the signs that the NEM is transforming to a decentralised market and how far will the transformation go?
- Exploring the development of batteries and other forms of energy storage and trying to predict how this will impact all utilities
- What opportunities does this create for utilities and who is best placed to capitalise on these?
Tony Pfeiffer, General Manager Effective Market Reform, Ergon Energy
11:30 The changing retail energy market - the shift in retailer and consumer relationship
- How consumers are changing behaviour and how this impacts expectations of their retailers
- Examining how technology is changing the relationship between the consumer and retailer and how this may look in the future
- Challenges and best practices of a changing retail energy market
Cameron O’Reilly, Chief Executive Officer, Energy Retailers Association of Australia
The changing generation and energy demand landscape and technologies that could drive further change
12:00 International Keynote Presentation:
Evaluating the impact of new technologies - the end of the traditional utility model
- The gradual end of vertical integration - an overview
- Analysing zero marginal cost generation and the coming of the economics of the internet
- Overviewing the impact of storage and electric cars on future electricity markets
- Understanding the benefits and challenges of decentralised grids and smart technologies
- Identifying the future role of supply businesses - an analysis
Dieter Helm, Professor, Oxford University (video presentation)
12:30 Networking lunch
13:30 Coal – the mainstay of the NEM today and tomorrow?
- Gaining insights into the vital role of coal in Australia’s power generation
- Analysing why coal is expected to remain the primary source of electricity in the future
- Developing lower emissions fossil fuel technologies - the survival of coal?
Greg Evans, Executive Director - Coal, Minerals Council of Australia
14:00 The long-term future for wind power in the NEM – the outlook to 2030
- Analysing the consequences of increasing presence of wind energy on the stability of the high voltage network
- Highlighting the current status and projected contribution of wind to electricity supply
- Reviewing the limitations of wind power - is it ready to compete with fossil fuels?
Stephen Davy, Chief Executive Officer, Hydro Tasmania
14:30 Panel Discussion:
Analysing the outlook for battery storage technology and how it could transform electricity markets
- Overviewing the latest battery storage developments and capabilities
- What is a reasonable timeframe for battery storage to be viable for consumers?
- What opportunities are there for battery storage to be integrated into traditional utility business models?
- How will battery storage impact the way in which electricity flows through vast networks within the NEM and what challenges might this create for both networks and distributors?
- Going one step further - in the grid of the future how does the electric car interact with the grid?
Panel moderator:
Robert Pritchard, Executive Director, Energy Policy Institute of Australia
Panellists:
Tony Pfeiffer, General Manager Effective Market Reform, Ergon Energy
Stephen Davy, Chief Executive Officer, Hydro Tasmania
Tony Wood, Energy Program Director, Grattan Institute
15:15 Afternoon tea
15:45 Can we go nuclear in the NEM?
- Examining the viability of the latest small modular reactors (SMR’s) in delivering electricity to remote and regional areas
- Why the NEM (and Australia) is a perfect candidate for nuclear energy given its seismic stability and population density
- Politically, what needs to happen for nuclear to become a reality within Australia?
Robert Pritchard, Executive Director, Energy Policy Institute of Australia
Anthony Irwin, Technical Director, SMR Nuclear Technology
Delivering affordable energy to all Australian consumers – the main priority for the NEM
16:15 Panel Discussion:
Ensuring the delivering of reliable electricity supply without rising prices
- How to better utilise existing network equipment in the NEM to reduce increasing in CAPEX expenditure and ultimately reduce consumer bills
- Assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the current industry structure, market institutions and regulatory arrangements to achieve cost efficient electricity supply
- Further retail price deregulation - the best solution for lower prices?
Panel moderator:
Robert Pritchard, Executive Director, Energy Policy Institute of Australia
Panellists:
Gavin Dufty, Policy Director, St. Vincent de Paul Society
Benn Barr, General Manager, Energy Sector Reform - Consumer and Retail, Department of Energy and Water Supply, Queensland Government
Kiera Poustie, Policy Analysis Manager, United Energy and Multinet Gas
Tennant Reed, Principal National Advisor - Public Policy, Australian Industry Group
17:00 Closing remarks from the Chair and drawing of the lucky door prize!
17:10 End of Day Two and close of conference