Vassilios Agelidis
Director
Australian Energy Research Institute
Professor Vassilios G. Agelidis is the Director of the Australian Energy Research Institute (AERI) and Professor of Power Engineering at the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecomunications at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
Professor Agelidis is one of Australia’s leading authorities on efficient electricity grid technologies and power engineering. He has done extensive research in the field of ‘smarter’ grid infrastructure and sustainable energy systems incorporating solar and wind energy sources.
In 2004, Professor Agelidis received the UK’s most prestigious research fellowship for a young researcher, the Advanced Research Fellowship from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.
Formerly the EnergyAustralia Chair of Power Engineering at the University of Sydney, Professor Agelidis was also a member of the review panel of the CSIRO research theme on Energy (2009) and is a reviewer of research proposals submitted to the Australian Research Council and occasionally for the Research Councils of Singapore and Canada. He was an invited expert witness to the Australian Senate Committee on Energy and Fuels in December 2009 giving evidence for key energy issues.
Zeno Atherton
Associate Director, Corporate and Project Finance
Clean Energy Finance Corporation
Zeno Atherton joined the CEFC in early 2013 and has more than 11 years’ experience in the Australian power and renewable energy sectors. Working in the CEFC investment team, Zeno’s focus is on large-scale wind and solar project financing, as well as distributed solar and the emergence of storage. Zeno was previously at Origin Energy, in the wind development and energy risk teams.
At Origin, Zeno delivered wind options and was involved in the company’s first wind project, at Cullerin Range, and the acquisition of the Wind Power business, including Stockyard Hill wind farm. Zeno qualified as a chartered accountant at PwC in London and worked in European chemical equity research. Zeno studied chemistry at Cambridge University in the UK and completed his PhD in inorganic chemistry at Imperial College, London.
Sam Behrens
Leader Demand Side Energy Technologies Research Group
CSIRO Energy Flagship
Dr Sam Behrens is based at CSIRO’s Energy Centre (in Newcastle) and leads the Demand Side Energy Technologies research group. He manages a multi-disciplinary research group consisting of 15 full-time engineers, software developers, battery chemist, applied mathematicians and social scientist. His research interests include project management, economic modelling, energy storage, power electronics, mechatronics systems and control. He is the co-author of two book chapters, several patent applications and more than 55 peer-reviewed publications, which have collected 1064 citations and an h-index of 16 (Google Scholar). Dr Behrens’ international reputation was recognised in 2009, when he was selected as part of a delegation of ten accomplished professionals from across Australia to partake in the Australian Korean Young Leader Exchange Program (AKYLEP). He has also been invited to present his work at a number of key international conferences, and he is an active reviewer for IOP Smart Materials and Structures, ASME Journal of Sound and Vibration journals and associate editor for IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics.
John Bradley
Chief Executive Officer
Energy Networks Association
John Bradley is an experienced chief executive with diverse experience in the electricity, gas, water and resources sectors. He has been a consultant to the IMF on State Owned Enterprise reform and served as the Director General of Queensland’s Department of Premier and Cabinet until 2012. He was the Director General of the Department of Environment and Resource Management from 2009 to 2012 and the CEO of the Queensland Water Commission during the Millennium drought. John led the restructure and economic regulation of the Western Australian electricity industry in 2006 and the South East Queensland Water industry in 2010. Earlier in his career, he undertook regulatory reforms in Queensland’s gas industry and led significant power and gas infrastructure projects.
John holds an MBA from QUT and BA from the University of Queensland. He serves as a non-executive Director of Greening Australia Limited.
Paula Conboy
Chair
Australian Energy Regulator
Ms Paula Conboy has over 20 years’ experience in public utility regulation in Australia and Canada.
She is currently the full time state/territory member and Chair of the Australian Energy Regulator, a position she has held since 1 October 2014.
After starting her career at the Industry Commission in Australia, Ms Conboy became the Senior Economist at Sydney Water Corporation just after the utility was incorporated. Moving to Canada, Paula joined the Ontario Energy Board as a senior staff member at a time when the Energy Competition Act was dramatically reshaping electricity regulation in the province. She later held several senior positions at PowerStream Inc., ending up as its Vice-President of Regulatory and Government Affairs. During this time, PowerStream became Ontario’s third largest electricity distribution utility through a series of mergers and acquisitions.
In 2010 Ms Conboy was appointed to the Ontario Energy Board. As one of the Board’s four full time members, she not only oversaw important policy development, but also adjudicated more than 200 applications for cost of service, performance based regulation, mergers and acquisitions, and leave to construct electricity and gas networks.
She has frequently been a guest lecturer for the course electricity market liberalization and the development of competitive wholesale power markets at Columbia University in New York. She was an active member of CAMPUT (Canada's Energy and Utility Regulators) and chaired its 2013 annual conference. She is also a mentor with International Confederation of Energy Regulators’ (ICER) Women in Energy initiative.
Paula holds a Bachelor and Masters of Science in Agricultural Economics from Guelph University and conducted her thesis work at La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia.
Daniel De Schutter
General Manager Strategy
Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
Danny is the General Manager, Strategy, with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). He joined ARENA from the Boston Consulting Group, where he was a project leader in their Public Sector practice. Danny has nearly 20 years of consulting experience with Accenture and other companies. Danny holds a Masters in Commerce and Engineering from the University of Antwerp, Belgium and J.W. Geothe Institut, Germany.
Gavin Dufty
Manager Policy and Research
St Vincent de Paul’s Society
Gavin is currently employed as the manager of policy and research at St Vincent de Paul Society, Victoria. Gavin’s has worked in the community welfare sector for over 18 years. During this time he has produced a number or reports focusing on the cost of living with a particular focus on energy. Gavin is a representative of a number of industry and government committees associated with energy policy including: Member Victorian government ministerial advisory committee on smart meters, AGL’s national customer council, Citipower / Powercor customer consultative committee, Past member of the Australian Energy Market Commission, Reliability Panel, Independent assessment panel for the Australian Government's Smart Grid, Smart City program.
Nicola Falcon
Group Manager Planning
Australian Energy Market Operator
Nicola specialises in providing strategic advice on issues relating to electricity markets and systems. Critically, this advice is backed by robust electricity market modelling, statistical, economic and/or commercial analysis.
Nicola has led major studies:
- Providing integrated resource planning advice,
- Assessing market benefits of transmission augmentations,
- Assessing impacts of renewable generation on dispatch and transmission congestion
- Projecting future gas demand from electricity generation
She has also provided projections of electricity prices, renewable certificate prices and greenhouse gas emissions for both government agencies and private investors.
Nicola has over thirteen years strategic consulting experience in the electricity and environment sectors and, prior to joining AEMO, managed assignments in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and Namibia. She has specialist expertise using the PLEXOS integrated energy model has applied the software in a number of complex assignments to better understand the impacts of various policy or investment decisions, including changes to market design.
Paul Fox
Chief Technology Officer New Energy
AGL
Paul has worked as an engineer, business builder, strategist and investor. Paul has worked as an engineer, business builder, strategist and investor. He is currently responsible for innovation and technology partnerships at AGL New Energy.
Paul lived in Silicon Valley from 2000 to 2013, developing a huge industry network and strong reputation for integrity and value. In 2009 Paul was selected to join the prestigious Kauffman Fellows Program, which identifies, develops and networks the next generation of global leaders in venture capital.
Paul is a Partner at the CalCEF Angel Fund (part of the California Clean Energy Fund family), a Silicon Valley venture capital fund focused on seed stage investments in clean energy companies. His own investment and advisory firm, Corran Toohill Capital, was founded in Silicon Valley in 2006 and continues to manage existing investments in the US and Australia.
Prior to that, Paul was founding CEO of SC Power Systems, a smart grid company using superconductor technology from Australia, which was listed on the AIM as Zenergy. In other roles, Paul was a VP of IT at electronics manufacturer Flextronics; the CEO of a fuel cell company; built the first mobile phones in Hungary; was a strategy consultant in telecoms, financial services and infrastructure; and was national operations manager for one of Australia’s largest construction organizations.
Paul began his career building water and power systems in remote localities, winning kudos from the United Nations and Government of Papua New Guinea. He also invented and deployed a hydro-pneumatic pile driving system for use in wetlands.
Simon Gamble
Manager, Hybrid Off-Grid Solutions
Hydro Tasmania
Simon is Manager for Hybrid Off-Grid Solutions at Hydro Tasmania where he is responsible for the business unit undertaking project development and the provision of advisory and implementation services to national and international clientele. Simon led the recently completed King Island Renewable Energy Integration Project which involved the development of a world leading renewable hybrid island power system capable of 100% renewable operation at mega-watt scale.
Simon’s team is currently implementing hybrid renewable projects on Flinders and Rottnest Islands in Australia and assisting utility clients with renewable integration approaches across the North and South Pacific. Simon was the 2010 Tasmanian Professional Fulbright Scholar and holds a B.E (first class honors) and M.Eng.Sci degrees from Adelaide University and an MBA from the Australian National Business School.
Lachlan James
Senior Manager, Energy Markets & Renewables
Environment and Planning Directorate, ACT Government
Lachlan works in the Energy and Waste Policy branch, Environment and Planning Directorate, ACT Government, where his work spans the ACT Government’s Renewable Energy Industry Development Strategy, the Renewable Energy Innovation Fund, and the Next Generation Energy Storage program. The ACT is on track to achieve its target of 90% renewables by 2020 using a nation-leading reverse auction process to procure large-scale renewable energy investment, and developing the ACT as the pilot for the national roll-out of energy storage. Lachlan has a broad background including entrepreneurship, technology commercialisation, venture advisory/mentoring roles, and 7+ years in venture capital. He has qualifications in engineering, law, business and finance from Cambridge, Melbourne, ANU and Harvard Business School.
Rainer Korte
Executive Manager Asset Management
Electranet
Rainer is responsible for setting the strategic framework and direction for life-cycle asset management decisions, network development including land and easement acquisition, regulatory affairs management including securing about 90% of business revenue, engagement with regulatory authorities and government policy advisers and managing the impact of National Electricity Market developments. Rainer also leads community consultation and consumer engagement programs.
Rainer has 25 years’ experience in the electricity industry holding engineering and increasingly senior management positions within ElectraNet. He has extensive experience within the market and regulatory frameworks of the National Electricity Market. Rainer also has a leadership and representative role with Grid Australia, which represents transmission network owners in the National Electricity Market.
Iain MacGill
Director
Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets
Dr Iain MacGill is an Associate Professor in the School of Electrical Engineering and Telecommunications at the University of New South Wales, and Joint Director (Engineering) for the University’s Centre for Energy and Environmental Markets (CEEM). He leads work in two of CEEM’s three research areas - Sustainable Energy Transformation including energy technology assessment and renewable energy integration, and Distributed energy systems including ‘smart grids’ and ‘smart’ homes, distributed generation and demand-side participation. He also has research interests in energy and climate policy.
He is the Responsible Australian Expert on the International Energy Agency’s PV Power Systems Task 14 on high PV penetrations in the electricity grid and an invited expert for the technical reference groups of the Federal Government’s Australian Energy Technology Assessment, the Australian Energy Market Operator’s future energy scenarios planning process and, previously, the Australian Energy Market Commission’s Demand-Side Participation Review.
Former roles include ‘smart control systems’ consulting in the Australian Mining and Mineral Processing industry, and several years in Washington DC as a senior policy analyst in the environmental NGO sector. CEEM itself undertakes interdisciplinary research in the analysis and design of energy and environmental markets and their associated policy frameworks. It brings together researchers from five UNSW Faculties with project funding from partners including the Australian Federal Government, CSIRO, State Governments and industry.
Phil Mackey
General Manager Solar and Emerging Businesses
Origin Energy
Phil Mackey joined Origin in February 2000 as General Manager SLIVER Solar Technology and was appointed General Manager Solar & Emerging Businesses in 2014. In this role, Phil is responsible for Origin’s solar strategy and future business model, including establishing an innovative culture to launch new technologies and grow Origin's Australian and international solar business.
Phil has lived and worked in seven countries (Australia, France, India, Indonesia, PNG, Saudi Arabia, and the USA), and has extensive experience in the energy industry, primarily across solar, energy efficiency and upstream oil and gas.
Prior to joining Origin, Phil held roles with Santos and Schlumberger.
Phil has a Bachelor of Engineering, Mechanical Electrical from the University of Tasmania and a Master of Business Administration from the Australian Graduate School of Management.
Keith Orchison
Director
Coolibah Pty Ltd
Keith Orchison has been engaged in the Australian energy industry for 33 years, of which he spent 24 as chief executive of national industry associations representing the upstream petroleum and electricity supply sectors.
He was a founder of the Australian Industry Greenhouse Network, which he chaired in 2000. From 2003 to 2007 he served on the Critical Infrastructure Advisory Council set up by the Howard government and was chairman of its energy committee. He was also chairman of CSIRO's energy technology advisory committee in the late 1990s and was deputy chairman and the overseeing manager of the Australian Electricity Supply Industry Research Board through most of the 1990s.
In 2011-12 he was a member of the Federal Government's energy white paper reference group.
Keith was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2004 and was awarded the 2012 Sir Willis Connolly Memorial Medal by AusIMM for communication services to the resources sector. He also is a holder of the APPEA Gold Medal (now the Reg Sprigg Medal), awarded in 1994 for services to the petroleum industry.
Keith has been principal of consultancy Coolibah Pty Ltd since retiring from ESAA at the end of 2003 and has numerous clients for his communications services across the spectrum of energy stakeholders.
He edited the "Powering Australia" yearbook from 2007 to 2012.
He is a commentator on energy issues for "Business Spectator" electronic newspaper and has a new column in "Gas Today" magazine.
His "This is Power" blog and monthly newsletter on the Coolibah website are widely read in the energy industry.
In late 2012, in partnership with media company ArmstrongQ, he launched the "OnPower" website and yearbook to provide a new media focus on eastern Australia's electricity supply business.
Carla Peterman
Commissioner
California Public Utilities Commission
Carla J. Peterman was appointed to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) by Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. in December 2012. Commissioner Peterman is the CPUC’s assigned Commissioner for a number of proceedings including energy efficiency, the Renewables Portfolio Standard, alternative transportation, energy storage, the Joint Reliability Plan, Southern California Edison’s 2015 General Rate Case, San Diego Gas & Electric’s and Southern California Gas Company’s 2016 General Rate Cases, and Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s 2015 Gas Transmission and Storage Services Rate Case.
Commissioner Peterman serves as Board member of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC) and as a Steering Committee member of the California Plug-in Electric Vehicle Collaborative.
She was previously appointed by Governor Brown, in 2011, to the California Energy Commission where she was lead Commissioner for renewables, transportation, natural gas, and the 2012 Independent Energy Policy Report.
She is the first African-American female to be appointed to both Commissions.
Commissioner Peterman has conducted research at the University of California Energy Institute and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Commissioner Peterman has also served as an environmental business analyst at community redevelopment non-profit Isles Inc., and an associate focused on energy financing in the investment banking division at Lehman Brothers.
Commissioner Peterman earned a Master of Science degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar. She is currently finishing doctoral studies in energy and resources at the University of California, Berkeley. Commissioner Peterman holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Howard University, where she graduated summa cum laude
John Pierce
Chairman
Australian Energy Market Commission
Commissioner Pierce was appointed AEMC Chairman in June 2010. His commitment to industry and regulatory reform has underpinned his contribution to national energy reform through a number of senior roles including his tenure as Secretary of the Federal Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism which followed 12 years of service as Secretary of the New South Wales (NSW) Treasury. He was a key adviser to Government and Chairman of the NSW Treasury Corporation.
Prior to his time at NSW Treasury he was Pacific Power Chief Economist. John holds a BCom (Hons) (UNSW). He was a Visiting Scholar at Boston University during 2004-2005 working on public sector performance management.
Gerard Reiter
Executive General Manager Asset Management
TransGrid
Gerard is the Executive General Manager of Asset Management of TransGrid, NSW’s transmission network service provider. He is responsible for determining TransGrid’s strategic asset management decisions, investment strategies in addition to asset performance, environmental approvals and non-network solutions.
With more than 22 years of experience in the Australian electricity supply industry, Gerard has worked in a number of areas including design, project management as well as procurement and contractor engagement. His continued professional interest is focused on the development of technology in the energy industry.
Gerard is Chairman of the Australian Power Institute, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to furthering power engineering education.
Jim Snow
Executive Director
Oakley Greenwood
Jim spent 12 years in the Natural Gas Industry (AGL) holding several senior executive positions involved with the technical end use of energy, regulations and tariffs, contract pricing, analysis of energy projects investment, strategy, mergers and acquisitions and the promotion and marketing of energy.
Jim has senior executive experience running a major Development and Construction business for listed entity Energy Developments Ltd. This encompassed power station developments and CNG and LNG facility developments in Australia. Jim has also been the CEO of a major electrical power systems contracting company specialising in the design and construction of overhead power lines and electrical contracting.
Jim also has some 16 years experience in consulting to the energy industry, industrial energy consumers and the water industry in Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the Middle East. This has involved him in the development of consulting businesses including the founding of two leading practices (Energetics and CRA International) and several smaller undertakings in that time (including Snowshill Consulting Pty Ltd).
Areas of expertise cover full senior management and leadership capability, advising on and implementing utility strategy and restructuring internationally, corporate management and governance, detailed economic regulation, greenhouse gas mitigation and policy, regulatory undertakings and regulatory affairs, detailed contractual matters, market development, and JV development and management.
Frank Tudor
Chief Executive Officer
Horizon Power
Frank Tudor has held various executive management roles over the last 25 years in the European, Asian and Australian oil, gas and power industries with BP, Woodside and most recently Horizon Power.
Frank is currently Managing Director of Horizon Power which is the vertically integrated regional energy provider to the natural resource rich regional part of WA. In this capacity Frank is directly and indirectly involved with Chinese companies and interests that are seeking to buy, invest or otherwise promote resource developments and associated infrastructure in WA.
Frank is the Vice Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (CCI) Energy and Resources Forum, a Board member of the Federal Government’s Australia China Council and a member of the ANU China in the World Advisory Board.
Frank holds first class degrees in engineering, economics and business administration from Curtin University (WA), London School of Economics (UK) and AGSM (University of NSW). Frank also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School in September and October 2008.
Anthony Vassallo
Delta Electricity Chair in Sustainable Energy Development
The University of Sydney
Professor Tony Vassallo holds the Delta Electricity Chair in Sustainable Energy Development at the University of Sydney, in the School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. He took up this position in October 2008. Prior to this, he held the position of Senior Principal Research Scientist with the Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation, followed by a period of consultancy to industry and government in the field of sustainable energy technology. Tony has a PhD in Chemistry from Macquarie University.
Glenn Walden
Manager Emerging Markets
Ergon Energy Corporation Limited
Glenn is an electrical engineer with more than 33 years’ experience in the Queensland electricity industry, including the areas of distribution, generation, renewables, remote area power supply, research, project management, business management and business development.
The Emerging Markets team, monitors the industry and global environment for emergent trends and business opportunities; evaluates products and guides their development; and, facilitates industry engagement and collaboration; to position Ergon Energy to meet customer service, sustainability and technical challenges in future electricity supply.
Matthew Warren
Chief Executive Officer
Energy Supply Association of Australia
Matthew Warren joined esaa in January 2012, having spent 15 years working as an environment and energy policy specialist. An economist by training, his objective at esaa is to ensure that esaa’s research and advocacy assists the downstream electricity and gas sector to continue to provide a safe, reliable and affordable energy supply for Australia.
Matthew was previously CEO of the Clean Energy Council, where he made a significant contribution to Australian policy debate on the role of renewable energy in meeting the challenges of reducing emissions.
Matthew has also worked for the mining industry in NSW, as an environmental consultant to both government and industry and was a trainee in the Environment Directorate of the European Commission. He has also worked as a journalist, most recently as the environment writer for The Australian newspaper.
Matthew holds a Bachelor of Economics with Honours from the University of Adelaide.
Ways to engage - speaking opportunities are available
Present your company, showcase your leadership and demonstrate how you can help the heads of energy storage, operations, and research & development from electricity utilities on how to best update and integrate their assets.
Use this unique forum to demonstrate your value to the biggest players in the electricity sector. Speakers will assert themselves as leading suppliers and solution providers to the sector.
Call Jon Treherne on +61 (0)2 8188 7536 or email jont@questevents.com.au to discuss how we can put you in front of a highly engaged and receptive audience.