Day Two - Plenary

08:00

Registration and welcome coffee

08:40

Opening remarks from the chair

Elysse Morgan
Host of "The Business"
ABC TV

08:45

MINISTERIAL KEYNOTE PRESENTATION

The Hon. Angus Taylor MP
Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction
Australian Government

OPPORTUNITIES IN THE NEW ENERGY ERA

09:00

International Keynote Presentation: Power shift - the future of Australian grid infrastructure

Humayun Tai
Senior Partner
McKinsey and Company (USA)

09:20

Fit-for-purpose regulation in the evolving energy market

How the AER is rethinking its approach to ensure regulation is fit-for-purpose as the market inexorably evolves
The importance of balancing regulation with innovation in entering the new age of energy

Paula Conboy
Chair
Australian Energy Regulator

09:40

Helping customers and communities through the energy transition

Brett Redman
Chief Executive Officer
AGL Energy

10:00

CEO Panel: Defining the key challenges and opportunities of the new energy age

How will the market be affected by policy changes in the new government term?
Is Australia on course to meet its Paris Accord commitments and what is the role of the energy sector in helping to achieve them?
Which emerging technologies are likely to have the greatest disruptive impact?
How can the energy companies (re)gain the trust of consumers?
Have recent regulatory and policy changes improved the NEM’s reliability, if not, what needs to be done?

Panel Moderator:

Tarandeep Singh Ahuja
Partner
McKinsey & Company

Panellists:

Merryn York
Chief Executive Officer
Powerlink Queensland

Stephanie Unwin
Chief Executive Officer
Horizon Power

James Harman
Chief Executive Officer
EDL

Jeff Dimery

Chief Executive Officer
Alinta Energy

10:40

Morning tea in the exhibition hall

NEM: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE

11:10

20 years of the NEM: how far has it come and what will it become?

Reflections on 20 years of the NEM’s existence and what it has delivered
Insight into how the AEMC designs market and regulatory frameworks to support the future power system
Learn about the trade-offs we need to make so customers get what they need at the lowest cost

John Pierce
Chairman
AEMC

11:25

Integrated System Plan and AEMO’s vision for the NEM’s future

Hear the challenges and opportunities in running the physical and financial markets as Australia’s generation mix changes
Insight on the Integrated System Plan and whether it will be able to address the trilemma of affordability, reliability and sustainability

Audrey Zibelman
Chief Executive Officer
AEMO

11:40

Joint Q+A

John Pierce
Chairman
AEMC

Audrey Zibelman
Chief Executive Officer
AEMO

11:55

Redesigning the NEM - what could an alternate market structure look like?

In the context of ongoing failure at creating a federal, integrated climate and energy policy, and an accelerating energy transition, do policy makers need to re-think the NEM?

Listen to one of Australia’s leading economists on why the NEM’s economics ‘no longer function effectively’ and what it needs in the way of redesign to overcome the policy impasse the system faces.

Danny Price
Founder and Managing Director
Frontier Economics

12:20

Networking lunch in the exhibition hall

TECHNOLOGY–DRIVEN TRANSFORMATION

13:30

International Keynote: Opportunities and transformative applications of Artificial Intelligence in the energy sector

Aidan is one of the world’s foremost experts on the intersection of AI and the global energy sector: Discover how AI can help solve many of the intractable problems facing modern energy systems.

Hear about the new energy provider in the UK, Igloo, which is utilising heavy customer analytics to offer innovative energy services, how AI can help regulators build testbeds for policy, and progress in non-intrusive load monitoring at the residential level.

Aidan O’Sullivan
Head of Energy and Artificial Intelligence Research
University College London

14:10

The interplay between technology and investment in Australia’s energy transition

• What investment is required to facilitate the energy transition
• Supporting the emerging Australian cleantech sector
• Opportunities and challenges in commercialising clean energy technologies

Ian Learmonth
Chief Executive Officer
Clean Energy Finance Corporation

14:30

Transitioning the world to sustainable energy

A focus on a sustainable future
Distributed energy resources providing grid benefits
Reflection and opportunities for further large scale storage projects
The possibilities for VPPs and microgrids to transform the market – examining the latest case studies

Josef Tadich
Senior Engineering Manager
Tesla

15:00

Residential and household retail - how can consumers benefit from the changing energy landscape?

Understanding the upside for consumers from recent reforms
Outlining what is required to maintain affordability for consumers during the energy transition
The importance of putting consumers first in any retail strategy

Jeff Dimery
Chief Executive Officer
Alinta Energy

15:20

Unlocking Australia’s renewable energy future – strategic transmission investment for a stable energy system

Learn how Australia’s power system is adjusting to a generational shift in energy supply
Planning, regulation and investment conditions required to ensure adequate and stable supply across the NEM
How strategic infrastructure investment can unlock new generation regions
International lessons to bear in mind for the transition in Australia’s generation fleet

Paul Italiano
Chief Executive Officer
Transgrid

15:40

Afternoon tea in the exhibition hall

16:10

How are C&I users changing their energy strategies?

Hear about the observed energy trends in the C&I market as industrials look to secure their energy future
Understand the latest innovations being adopted by industrial customers to meet sustainability targets and lower costs
Learn how C&Is are viewing energy as more than just a procurement item

Jon Stretch
Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer
ERM Power

16:30

Generator panel: What generation mix is required to deliver affordable and reliable energy?

What are the main commercial challenges facing generators?
How much renewable energy can the grid handle now and what steps need to be taken to absorb more?
Should the government underwrite generation assets?
How are generators viewing opportunity in the budding hydrogen sector and what will be their role within it?
What is the role of storage, gas and pumped hydro in the optimal generation mix?

Panel Moderator:

Craig Walkemeyer
Australian Market Leader - Energy & Resources
GHD