Meet Our Speakers
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Alex Wonhas
Chief Executive Officer
Ampyr Energy
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Amandine Denis-Ryan
Executive Officer
IEEFA Australia
Caitlin Trethewy
Head of Virtual Power Plant Operations | Trading
AGL
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Chris Wallin
Commercial Program Manager
Yarra Energy Foundation
Dani Alexander
Chief Executive Officer
UNSW Energy Institute
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Danny Moore
General Manager – Commercial and Retail Strategy
Momentum Energy
David Feeney
General Manager – Wholesale and Environment
Australian Energy Council
Dominic Adams
Chief Operations Officer
Energy Networks Australia
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Eloise Taylor
Investment Manager and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Expert
ARENA
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Emily Speers Mears
co-Director Network Recommendations
Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo)
Gordon Dunsford
Executive General Manager - Digital
AEMO
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Jill Cainey
Director
Erne Energy
John Cleland
Chief Executive Officer
Essential Energy
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Lauren Tapp
co-Director Network Recommendations
Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo)
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Marc England
Chief Executive Officer
Ausgrid
Paulo Gottgtroy
Head of Data Science and Analytics
Mercury NZ
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Rainer Korte
Commissioner | Director
Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) | CIGRE Australia
Rakhesh Martyn
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Hachiko
Renate Vogt
General Manager – Regulation
CitiPower Powercor
Robbie Aherne
Transgrid
Scott Carden
Head of Engineering
The NRMA
Shayne Kumar
Head of Energy
NextDC
Shreejan Pandey
Director - Monash Energy Institute
Monash University
Stephanie Bashir
Principal
Nexa Advisory
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Stuart Barber
Manager – Future Control Centre
Transgrid
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The Honourable Councillor Lawrence Springborg AM
Mayor
Goondiwindi Regional Council
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Tom Bakker
Head of Future Networks and Markets
Endeavour Energy
Victoria Mollard
Executive General Manager – Economics and System Security
Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)
Vida Cheeseman
Head of Corporate Communications
Endeavour Energy
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Walter Schutte
Executive GM, Customer and Energy Markets
Squadron Energy
Amandine Denis-Ryan
Executive Officer
IEEFA Australia
Amandine has been the CEO at IEEFA Australia since 2022. She is a recognized expert in energy markets and the energy transition. Amandine has particular expertise on gas and LNG markets, demand-side opportunities and industrial decarbonisation. She has worked with and advised many organisations on the strategy, investment and risk implications of the energy transition.
Amandine joined IEEFA following a decade in leadership positions at Climateworks Centre, where she led the development of the first domestic net-zero emissions pathway for Australia and subsequent updates used by business, finance and government organisations. Prior to joining Climateworks, she worked as a management consultant for McKinsey and Company in Sydney, advising clients across the public and private sectors on strategy, sustainability, carbon abatement opportunities and associated policies.
Amandine holds an MBA, as well as an MSc. from Ecole Polytechnique (France) and an MSc. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD)’s Company Directors Course.
Speaking at
08:50
Opening Remarks from the Chair
Rainer Korte
Commissioner | Director
Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) | CIGRE Australia
Rainer Korte is an experienced senior leader in the electricity industry. His career includes extensive executive responsibility for the planning and development of the
South Australian electricity transmission network, including integration of world-leading levels of variable renewable energy.
He has led key energy transformation initiatives in South Australia, and significant business changes, including strengthening customer and stakeholder engagement and implementing best-practice asset management.
Throughout his career, Rainer has been at the forefront of addressing challenges related to the transition to a low-carbon energy future, balancing the needs for system security, reliability, and affordability.
His extensive leadership experience within the market and regulatory frameworks of the National Electricity Market has developed his deep knowledge of the industry's
complexities and challenges.
Rainer’s power systems engineering experience and understanding of the energy sector's intricate regulatory landscape are invaluable in his role as an AEMC Commissioner.
Speaking at
09:00
Redesigning the rules: How regulation can enable a smarter, fairer energy system
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Victoria Mollard
Executive General Manager – Economics and System Security
Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)
Victoria Mollard is an experienced leader with more than 15 years of experience working in the energy sector. Victoria joined the AEMC in 2012 and has predominantly focussed on transmission frameworks and wholesale market reforms. She is currently the Executive General Manager leading the Economics and System Security team. This team is responsible for rule changes and reviews relating to system security and transmission access reform as we transition to net zero by 2050, as well as our in-house economics function.
Before joining the AEMC, she worked for NERA Economic Consulting advising clients on a range of matters on competition, regulatory principles and policy across the water, transport and energy sectors. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce and Arts, and Masters of Commerce in Economics from the University of Auckland.
Speaking at
09:30
Market design in transition: What’s changing and why it matters
Renate Vogt
General Manager – Regulation
CitiPower Powercor
Renate was appointed as General Manager in December 2016. She has more than 20 years’ experience in electricity infrastructure, including working for the ACCC, AER, and AusNet Services.
An economist by profession, Renate has highly developed skills in infrastructure business including revenue and market regulation, electricity innovation, developing commercial non-regulated business streams and customer engagement.
Renate is a strong advocate for customer outcomes and has been directly involved in cultural transformation of customer engagement and aligning business and customer objectives.
Speaking at
10:00
Panel discussion: Unlocking innovation through smarter market and policy design
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Dominic Adams
Chief Operations Officer
Energy Networks Australia
Dominic Adams is Chief Operations Officer at Energy Networks Australia.
Dominic is responsible for crucial areas of policy to support the rapid transformation of Australia’s energy sector. In his role, Dominic leads advocacy strategies and a program of work for the development and transformation of our transmission, distribution, and gas networks.
Dominic has over a decade of experience working across the energy supply chain, with particular emphasis on policy and regulatory engagement with market bodies.
Dominic has a combined bachelor’s degrees in Law and Arts from the University of Newcastle with a focus on climate and environmental law.
Speaking at
10:00
Panel discussion: Unlocking innovation through smarter market and policy design
Walter Schutte
Executive GM, Customer and Energy Markets
Squadron Energy
Walter is a seasoned energy markets leader across retail, generation and gas. His energy career spans the likes of Energex, Stanwell, Shell (Arrow), APA and Iberdrola Australia. He brings a wealth of experience in successfully developing retailing products and capability targeted at commercial and industrial customers.
Speaking at
10:00
Panel discussion: Unlocking innovation through smarter market and policy design
David Feeney
General Manager – Wholesale and Environment
Australian Energy Council
David joined the AEC as the General Manager, Wholesale and Environment in August 2023. David was most recently the General Manager, Policy at Transgrid, leading a small team of policy experts focussed on transmission policy both nationally and in NSW.
Prior to this, David was at the Australian Energy Market Commission as an Executive General Manager, initially focussing on Retail and Wholesale Markets, and later leading the networks team. David led policy teams responsible for rule changes and reviews, with extensive stakeholder engagement key to the AEMC processes.
He has more than 25 years’ experience across the telecommunications, energy and government sectors. David’s previous roles include both regulatory and commercial roles with Telstra and managing industry engagement and commercial management for NBN Co. He has a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Newcastle and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Sydney.
Speaking at
10:00
Panel discussion: Unlocking innovation through smarter market and policy design
Paulo Gottgtroy
Head of Data Science and Analytics
Mercury NZ
Dr. Paulo Gottgtroy is the Head of Decision Science & Analytics at Mercury NZ, leading initiatives that leverage advanced analytics and AI to solve complex business challenges. With a PhD in Computer Science and over 30 years of experience across various industries, he has held leadership roles in organizations such as Inland Revenue NZ and Air New Zealand. Paulo is also a member of the Executive Council at AI Forum NZ.
Speaking at
11:10
Optimising energy generation with AI-driven insights
11:40
Panel discussion: Real-time grid coordination: Leveraging data, AI and automation across a decentralised system
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Shreejan Pandey
Director - Monash Energy Institute
Monash University
Shreejan Pandey is Director of the Monash Energy Institute, where he convenes leading researchers, industry, and policymakers to spearhead collaborative initiatives advancing the energy transition. His career spans designing wind farms and substations, shaping international standards, and forging partnerships across government, industry, and academia to address the technical, market, and social challenges of a clean energy future.
Speaking at
11:40
Panel discussion: Real-time grid coordination: Leveraging data, AI and automation across a decentralised system
Gordon Dunsford
Executive General Manager - Digital
AEMO
Gordon is responsible for enabling the business with technology to improve outcomes for both internal and external stakeholders.
Gordon joined AEMO in January 2022 from the NSW Police Force, where he delivered core operational policing systems that enable frontline work, digitised a large component of previously manual, transactional work and supported cyber and intelligence uplifts over the past four years.
A former Chief Technology Officer with IBM in Asia, Gordon has also worked extensively in the energy sector including with StateGrid China, TransGrid and Integral Energy (now Endeavour Energy).
Speaking at
11:40
Panel discussion: Real-time grid coordination: Leveraging data, AI and automation across a decentralised system
Stuart Barber
Manager – Future Control Centre
Transgrid
Stuart Barber is a forward-thinking leader in energy systems innovation, currently serving as the Manager of the Future Control Centre at Transgrid. With a strong background in both information and operational technology, Stuart plays a pivotal role in shaping the control centre of the future at Transgrid. He leads strategic initiatives that support the integration of technologies, enhance system operability, and ensure
grid reliability during the NSW and ACT energy transition.
His insights are grounded in real-world experience managing complex technology projects and collaborating with industry stakeholders, regulators, and technology partners.
At Transgrid, Stuart has recently delivered a project to realign the control room systems to a future ready Alarm Management Philosophy and is currently preparing a regulatory submission to uplift Transgrid’s control room technologies to deliver greater customer value and maintain operational reliability throughout the decarbonisation of the NSW and ACT energy system.
Speaking at
11:40
Panel discussion: Real-time grid coordination: Leveraging data, AI and automation across a decentralised system
Stephanie Bashir
Principal
Nexa Advisory
Stephanie Bashir is the founder and CEO of Nexa Advisory focused on evidenced based policy and advocacy to accelerate the clean energy transition. Stephanie is a respected board level executive and transformation leader with over two decades of experience across the Australian energy sector and the broader economies it impacts. Stephanie has cemented her career in the energy sector holding leadership roles in technical, commercial, strategic, policy and advisory areas; she has expertise in energy market policy and regulation, new energy technologies and service innovation, as well as networks and grid modernisation. Stephanie previously led the policy vision and strategy at AGL with a key focus on the reform of network regulation relating to new energy technologies and services. Stephanie played important roles in driving the clean energy transformation and establishing the national policy agenda around virtual power plants, and competition reforms in new energy technologies and services.
Speaking at
13:30
Fireside Chat: Unlocking the role of large C&I demand response in Australia’s decarbonisation pathway
Shayne Kumar
Head of Energy
NextDC
Shayne is an executive leader in the renewable energy and data centre sector with over 13 years of experience driving strategy, innovation, M&A, and infrastructure development across Europe, APAC, and Australia. He has held senior roles at Amazon Web Services, Baringa Partners, and NEXTDC, leading high-impact projects and teams in green hydrogen, battery storage, solar, offshore wind, and energy risk management. His work has influenced multi-billion-dollar investment decisions, shaped corporate energy strategies at major companies, and guided organisations through complex market challenges. As Head of Energy at NEXTDC, Shayne oversees global energy strategy and commercial aspects of HV network connections, and helps to drive energy efficiency across NEXTDC's global data centre fleet.
He holds a Master of Business Administration from Melbourne Business School where he graduated in the top 10% of my cohort (Dean’s List Award). He also holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) with a specialisation in Mechanical Engineering and a Bachelor of Commerce with a specialisation in Finance.
Key career accomplishments:
> Led a global macroeconomic and BESS market entry assessment for a major battery developer leading to critical go/no-go investment decisions at the board level (Senior Manager at Baringa Partners)
> Developed global green hydrogen strategy enabling data centre growth principally across Europe, North America and South Africa for Amazon Web Services representing over USD$1bn in investment (Principal at Amazon Web Services).
> Navigated Amazon and Amazon Web Services through the European gas crisis in 2022 which put $30bn+ revenue and millions of customers at risk. I led a task force to analyse and mitigate systemic energy market risks and presented these findings and recommendations to senior leadership (Principal at Amazon Web Services)
> Led the development of a USD$1bn+ CAPEX portfolio of power projects encompassing offshore wind, green hydrogen, battery storage and gas generation across Europe (Principal at Amazon Web Services)
> Led to development of Ukraine’s green hydrogen strategy (pre-war) on behalf of the C-suite of Ukraine’s largest vertically integrated utility (DTEK). (Manager at Baringa Partners)
> Co-founded an energy startup, Electroads, and led it to an international startup accelerator (The Hult Prize) to compete for USD$1m of seed funding. (CEO & Co-founder at Electroads)
Speaking at
13:30
Fireside Chat: Unlocking the role of large C&I demand response in Australia’s decarbonisation pathway
Eloise Taylor
Investment Manager and Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) Expert
ARENA
Eloise is a Manager in the Business Development and Transactions team at the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), specialising in the identification and execution of investment opportunities. Eloise works across ARENA's electricity transition (demand flexibility and large scale integration ) and transport portfolios (innovation and V2X). In her role, she has led a number of investment opportunities to accelerate innovation and contribute to Australia's net zero goals, as well as leading ARENA's efforts in the National Roadmap for Bidirectional EV Charging, which highlights the actions needed to reach 300,000 Australian cars participating in V2G by 2030.
Prior to ARENA, Eloise held positions at KPMG and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) where she worked on key renewable transition programs including the Renewable Integration Study and Engineering Roadmap.
Speaking at
14:10
Unlocking the grid potential of EVs
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Alex Wonhas
Chief Executive Officer
Ampyr Energy
Alex is a respected and proven senior executive and thought leader who has shaped the national and state-based strategic agenda in the energy sector through his work at AEMO, Aurecon, CSIRO and McKinsey.
He is currently the CEO of Ampyr Energy, a renewable energy company, on track to delivering 3 GW of BESS projects across Australia by 2030. He is also a non-executive director of the Energy Corporation of NSW, which is orchestrating NSW’s rapid energy transition through the delivery of the NSW Renewable Energy Zones. Prior, Alex oversaw the development of the Integrated System Plan (ISP) as EGM System Design at the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). Alex also held a number of senior executive roles at Aurecon, an engineering firm where he led their energy and resources work globally, and at CSIRO, where he led their energy and resources research.
Speaking at
15:10
Unlocking medium-duration storage for a renewable grid
15:40
Panel discussion: Rethinking the role of batteries in a resilient, distributed grid
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Rakhesh Martyn
Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Hachiko
I have over 15 years of technical and project management experience across Australian and British clean energy, petrochemicals, bio-processing, and pub kitchens. Hell of a combination.
All of this has been thrown into Hachiko, a B2B SaaS platform for multi-market optimisation and portfolio management of distributed batteries. Being a founder is a hell of a time, but I love it and am grateful to my team, customers, and investors.
Highlights:
- Strategic and Entrepreneurial Thinking: Having been both an operator and a service provider for embedded generation and battery storage projects for nearly a decade, I have taken the plunge to build a software product that will address the biggest barriers to battery portfolio growth as I see them. I'm a fan of talking, but an even bigger fan of doing.
- Energy Market Expertise: Deep experience in multi-market monetisation of loads and embedded generation, including storage, across Wholesale Energy Markets, Frequency Response, Reliability DR/Capacity Markets, and Network Support in Australia and the UK.
- Grid Connection Specialist: Hands-on experience with connection agreements across multiple DNSPs, generator upgrades, synchronisation and export, and AEMO exemption processes in the National Electricity Market (NEM).
- Energy Management Software: Product management and enterprise sales for energy applications, specialising in battery portfolio management software for non-residential applications.
- Team Leadership & Mentoring: Accomplished mentor and manager, from leading hybrid engineering teams at Enel X to supporting students in academic settings as a personal tutor to founding and running a start-up with multiple permanent and contract staff.
- Process Engineering: Expertise in distillation and heat transfer design, project delivery, technology licensing, and commissioning.
I’m also an stand-up comedian and MC, with performances across the UK and Australia, including as a national finalist in the RAW Comedy competition at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival in 2019. Whether it’s leading a team, solving complex problems, or hosting your event, I approach every challenge with creativity, humour, and a wealth of knowledge.
Speaking at
15:40
Panel discussion: Rethinking the role of batteries in a resilient, distributed grid
Chris Wallin
Commercial Program Manager
Yarra Energy Foundation
Chris leads Yarra Energy Foundation’s Energy & Storage team that delivered the first inner-urban community battery in Australia in June 2022. He is an experienced project manager in technical, business and financial areas. As an electrical engineer, he worked on large industrial installations from design to project handover. He also had a career in business management with Information Technology companies, and regularly volunteers with community organisations to assist in identifying and qualifying renewable energy projects.
Speaking at
15:40
Panel discussion: Rethinking the role of batteries in a resilient, distributed grid
Scott Carden
Head of Engineering
The NRMA
Scott is an innovator in energy and sustainability, developing solutions that directly benefit the end consumer. He’s developed novel VPP solutions focusing on maximising network performance whilst minimising consumer disruption and BESS supported EVCS to enable wider adoption of electrification.
Scott’s a driving force in developing solutions to enable metering, and environmental data collection, to enable a wholistic view from construction through to operation.
An enthusiastic proponent for effective embedded networks. Utilising IoT networks to enable real-time interaction has allowed unprecedented availability of data for both residents and operators.
An active participant in all aspects of energy regulation, liaising with stakeholders from AEMO, AER, AEMC, and government, to help drive innovation in embedded networks and beyond.
Speaking at
15:40
Panel discussion: Rethinking the role of batteries in a resilient, distributed grid
Dani Alexander
Chief Executive Officer
UNSW Energy Institute
Ms Dani Alexander is a passionate advocate for reshaping our energy system to be clean, affordable, reliable and equitable. Her experience in the energy sector is broad having held roles in universities, government including the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, and industrial co-operative research centres. Her background is multi-disciplinary in science and business, reflecting the nature of her work bridging the gap between new technology and transitioning markets.
Dani has a deep and broad knowledge of the energy transition, including energy system flexibility, renewable energy generation, clean fuels, energy storage, grid integration and energy consumers and markets. Her own research focuses on mainstreaming energy innovation across the value chain, accelerating the technology and commercial maturity of new technologies.
Speaking at
08:50
Opening remarks from the chair
09:00
Fireside chat – How DNSPs can help solve the challenges of the grid, while simultaneously delivering benefits at a community level
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11:30
Panel discussion - Powering Cities: How local governments and businesses can lead the clean energy transition
Marc England
Chief Executive Officer
Ausgrid
Marc joined Ausgrid as CEO in 2023, bringing a wealth of global experience spanning the energy, oil and gas and automotive industries.
Throughout his career, Marc has held a number of executive positions. Prior to joining Ausgrid, Marc was the CEO of Genesis Energy in New Zealand, delivering significant transformation and growth to a business that was at the forefront of the energy transition.
Marc also held Executive roles at AGL Energy where he was responsible for the establishment of the company’s New Energy Arm to deliver distributed energy resources to customers. Prior to that, Marc spent six years at British Gas in a range of leadership roles driving impactful commercial and operational outcomes.
Complemented by his people-first approach, purpose driven leadership and breadth of skills across engineering, finance and operations, Marc is applying global experience to ensure Ausgrid plays an active role in a net zero future. Through innovation, Marc is committed to ensuring electricity customers play a role in enabling a more sustainable future.
Marc has a Master of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering and European Studies from the University of Sussex and an MBA from Imperial College London.
Speaking at
09:00
Fireside chat – How DNSPs can help solve the challenges of the grid, while simultaneously delivering benefits at a community level
John Cleland
Chief Executive Officer
Essential Energy
John is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with comprehensive executive and non-executive experience with large and complex organisations in the infrastructure (rail, ports, energy transmission and distribution), resources and logistics sectors.
John is a director of Essential Energy and a member of its Board Regulatory Committee, and the Chair of Energy Networks Australia.
John previously held the position of Head of Infrastructure, Coal Division at Anglo American PLC and prior to that he was the CEO of WestNet Infrastructure Group.
Speaking at
09:00
Fireside chat – How DNSPs can help solve the challenges of the grid, while simultaneously delivering benefits at a community level
Vida Cheeseman
Head of Corporate Communications
Endeavour Energy
Vida is a versatile, creative and strategic senior communications professional with a track record of delivering award winning results for large Australian and multinational organisations.
As a trusted and skilled advisor for C-level executives, she has over 20 years' experience working across the broad spectrum of corporate affairs including media relations, government relations and analyst relations; internal communications; issues management; reputation management; social media; stakeholder relations; and community engagement.
Vida is a passionate leader whose dedication to solving complex problems with “big picture" thinking has resulted in 12 local and international PR awards. She delivers business outcomes that impact positively on reputation and bottom line, through strategy formulation, strategic counsel and hands-on implementation.
Speaking at
09:30
Local Level: Strengthening grid legitimacy through community engagement
Caitlin Trethewy
Head of Virtual Power Plant Operations | Trading
AGL
Caitlin is an engineer and business strategist with extensive experience in renewable energy and sustainability projects. She is passionate about Australia's energy transition with Bachelor of Renewable Energy Engineering (UNSW), Master in Public Policy (Harvard), and experience as a management consultant at McKinsey. Caitlin is skilled at getting things done in complex environments, and has experience working with stakeholders at all levels within public and private sector organisations. She currently leads the Virtual Power Plant Operations team at AGL Energy.
Speaking at
10:30
What will it take to scale virtual power plants?
Tom Bakker
Head of Future Networks and Markets
Endeavour Energy
Tom is a seasoned energy industry professional with a deep passion for shaping the future of energy built over the last two decades. Tom brings a mix of strategic foresight, technical depth and leadership. His experience spans future flexible services, future network planning, market innovation, power systems engineering, strategy formulation, and commercial analysis. As Head of Future Networks & Markets, Tom is responsible for shaping Endeavour Energy’s approach to emerging energy technologies, market reform, and grid transformation initiatives.
Prior to Endeavour Energy, Tom held roles at Aurecon, Energex (Energy Queensland), and has worked in international markets including the United Kingdom, Germany, the wider EU, and Africa.
Speaking at
11:00
Flexibility, electrification and storage – strategies to support customers in a high renewable energy future
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The Honourable Councillor Lawrence Springborg AM
Mayor
Goondiwindi Regional Council
The Hon. Cr Lawrence Springborg AM is a highly respected public official with over three decades of distinguished service to Queensland and Australian communities. He currently serves as the Mayor of Goondiwindi Regional Council, bringing a wealth of experience in government, regional development, health, and rural advocacy to local leadership.
Lawrence Springborg entered politics at the age of 21, becoming the youngest member ever elected to the Queensland Parliament. Over the course of 28 years in State Parliament, he served in a range of senior roles including:
Minister for Natural Resources
Minister for Health
Leader of the Queensland National Party
Inaugural Leader of the Liberal National Party (LNP)
Leader of the Opposition in Queensland on three occasions
As Minister for Health, he led significant reforms to restore public confidence and operational integrity to Queensland’s health system. Throughout his parliamentary career, he was known for his strong advocacy for rural and regional Queensland and for fostering innovative approaches to critical infrastructure and service delivery.
Mr Springborg retired from State Parliament in 2017.
In 2020, he returned to public life at the local government level, elected as Mayor of the Goondiwindi Regional Council. Under his leadership, the region has strengthened its reputation as a model of efficient governance, agricultural innovation, and cross-border cooperation.
In recognition of his outstanding service to the people of Queensland, particularly in the fields of health and regional development, Lawrence Springborg was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2021.
A proud fourth-generation Queenslander, he lives with his family on their farming property near Inglewood and remains deeply committed to the prosperity, resilience, and sustainability of rural communities.
Speaking at
11:30
Panel discussion - Powering Cities: How local governments and businesses can lead the clean energy transition
Danny Moore
General Manager – Commercial and Retail Strategy
Momentum Energy
Danny is an experienced executive and board director having operated across private, public and not for profit sectors and diverse industries covering energy and utilities, government, health, travel and animal welfare.
Functionally, Danny has developed a generalist leadership capacity having held functional responsibilities across customer, commercial, advocacy/stakeholder management, strategy, policy, governance, shared services/operations, program management, digital and transformation.
Danny has proven leadership success in developing vision, collaborative and constructive organisation culture to achieve outcomes and drive performance, including achieving significant employee engagement results and success in implementing business change. Danny has held financial accountability including OPEX of up to $50M, CAPEX of $12M, revenue of $1.3B and negotiating contracts valued up to $900M.
As a media trained executive, Danny is a confident public speaker and has represented organisations in media interviews (TV, radio and print), before parliamentary committees, in legal processes (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) as well as conference presentations.
Danny holds qualification including a bachelor’s degree of marketing and IT, a postgraduate diploma of marketing, a postgraduate certificate of Indigenous engagement as well as being a graduate of the Company Directors Course and holding a postgraduate certificate in Applied Finance.
Speaking at
11:30
Panel discussion - Powering Cities: How local governments and businesses can lead the clean energy transition
Lauren Tapp
co-Director Network Recommendations
Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo)
Lauren Tapp is co-Director Network Recommendations (job share) for NSW EnergyCo. Lauren and her job share partner Emily are responsible for regulatory strategy, economic modelling and advice that supports the authorisation of network infrastructure projects.
Lauren is a seasoned senior executive with experience across the private, public and not for profit sectors. Lauren commenced her career in financial services and banking before transitioning into the NSW public sector. She has experience in policy reform and project management across a range of portfolios including natural resource management, primary industries, environment, disaster recovery and energy. Lauren has worked in senior executive roles with responsibility for risk and governance, corporate planning and performance, portfolio and program management, regulation and ESG. She is passionate about bringing her commercial capability and government knowledge to the energy sector to support NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap delivery.
Lauren is a Chartered Accountant, has a Bachelor of Commerce and a Masters of Environmental Management from Macquarie University. Lauren is Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for VRA (Volunteer Rescue Association) Rescue NSW, and a member of the Lake Macquarie Council Environmental Grants Committee.
Speaking at
13:10
Case Study: The Illawarra REZ – Lessons in grid coordination and regional collaboration
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Emily Speers Mears
co-Director Network Recommendations
Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo)
Emily Speers Mears is co-Director Network Recommendations (job share) for NSW EnergyCo. Emily and her job share partner Lauren are responsible for regulatory strategy, economic modelling and advice that supports the authorisation of REZ infrastructure projects.
Emily has worked in leadership roles across the public and not-for-profit sectors, including six years in NSW Government. Prior to moving to New South Wales, Emily was based in Myanmar as an expert on education and peacebuilding. She has worked in the humanitarian and development sectors across East Africa and South-East Asia, and in NSW in prevention of domestic violence, the COVID-19 response, women’s economic opportunities and now the energy transition. Emily is passionate about purpose-driven and values-based work, and is a strong advocate for First Nations reconciliation, including having led the delivery of two Reconciliation Action Plans while at NSW Treasury.
Emily holds an Masters of Philosophy in International Relations from the University of Oxford. She is currently a volunteer for Story Factory.
Speaking at
13:10
Case Study: The Illawarra REZ – Lessons in grid coordination and regional collaboration
Robbie Aherne
General Manager – System ResilienceTransgrid
Speaking at
13:40
A transmission network for the future: Enabling energy transition through resilience and coordination
Jill Cainey
Director
Erne Energy
Dr Jill Cainey MBE is the founder and CEO of Erne Energy, supporting the energy sector to understand the impacts and risks of climate change as Australia electrifies the future.
Jill has advocated for the interests of electricity storage in the UK and Europe, and for electricity transmission and distribution networks, renewable energy developers and Consumer Energy Resources in Australia.
Combining expertise in climate science, electricity regulation and policy, Jill focusses on the impact of extreme weather on electricity systems, representing consumers and communities to ensure that they have access to a resilient and low-cost source of clean electricity.
Speaking at
14:10
Designing for electricity resilience: balancing grid hardening with consumer DER
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