2025 Agenda

Explore how regulatory, policy and market levers can accelerate the adoption of new technologies and operating models.

• What specific regulatory or policy changes would most effectively remove barriers to adopting new grid technologies?
• How can regulators strike the right balance between enabling innovation and protecting consumers in a rapidly changing energy landscape?
• Where have we seen successful examples, locally or internationally, of policy or market design accelerating the uptake of emerging technologies, and what can we learn from them?
• How can market frameworks better integrate DER and new operating models without creating unintended consequences for grid stability or affordability?

From predictive maintenance that keeps assets running at peak efficiency to smart home systems that shift demand in real time, discover how innovations at both the utility and household level are easing pressure on the grid, cutting costs, and creating a more responsive, resilient energy system.

• How can real-time data and AI enhance the coordination of DER without compromising grid stability?
• What are the biggest technical and operational challenges in orchestrating DER at scale, and how can automation help address them?
• How should networks balance the need for centralised oversight with the flexibility of decentralised control?
• What role will emerging digital platforms and standards play in enabling seamless real-time coordination across diverse systems and stakeholders?

As EV adoption accelerates, their aggregate load profile and charging behaviour will have significant implications for network stability, peak demand, and local capacity constraints. When enabled by vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology, EVs can operate as distributed storage assets, providing frequency support, demand shifting, and contingency reserves. What regulatory, market, and technical enablers are needed to unlock this potential while avoiding grid stress?

As renewables surge and coal retires, Australia’s energy future hinges on our ability to store power for longer. This session explores the business case, technologies, and market reforms needed to scale medium-duration batteries and why they’re the missing link in grid reliability. 

• From community batteries to grid-scale storage, what does good deployment look like, and who should lead?
• How should we determine the optimal mix between community batteries and large-scale storage to deliver both local and system-wide benefits?
• What governance or ownership models have proven most effective in ensuring batteries serve both community needs and grid reliability?
• How do we balance rapid deployment of storage with long-term planning to avoid stranded assets or underused capacity?
• In a future with widespread battery adoption, what role should networks, market operators, and communities each play in leading deployment and coordination?

In a rare, candid conversation, two of Australia’s leading energy CEOs go beyond the headlines to share their vision for the grid of tomorrow; how to balance decarbonisation, reliability, and affordability while bringing communities with us every step of the way. 

Discover proven strategies for engaging customers as genuine partners in the energy transition from building legitimacy, fostering long-term cooperation, and ensuring community voices help shape the future grid. From transparent communication to co-designed solutions, explore how trust and collaboration can unlock smoother project delivery, greater resilience, and stronger social licence.

Discover how bold local leadership, community-first planning, and place-based investment can accelerate renewable energy uptake, reducing emissions, driving local resilience, and setting the pace for Australia’s clean energy future. 

• What advantages do local governments and businesses have in accelerating renewable energy uptake compared to state or federal initiatives? 
• How can community-first planning ensure clean energy projects deliver both environmental and social benefits? 
• What funding, policy, or partnership models have proven most effective in scaling place-based renewable energy investments? 
• How can local leadership set the pace for national energy transition goals while meeting the specific needs of their communities? 

• Reliability as a foundation: How Transgrid is addressing reliability, security, and operational risks in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.
• Stronger collaboration: Working with AEMO, EnergyCo, DNSPs, and government to manage timing risks and enable coordinated planning and reform.
• The “middle phase” of transition: Why planning must now anticipate the end state of the energy system, where infrastructure supports economic growth and digital demand, not just coal replacement.