Conference Day One | Wednesday 26 October
Go to In-Depth Learning Sessions
08:15 | Registration and welcome coffee
08:50 | Opening remarks from the Chair
Keith Orchison, Director, Coolibah Pty Ltd
FORWARD-LOOKING AND COHERENT, STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS FOR NSW’s ENERGY TRANSITION
09:00 | Future networks demands and the role of innovation in sustaining the backbone of NSW supply
- Adapting to the state’s changing energy landscape and designing a network to cope with inter-regional dynamics
- Leveraging technology and innovation to accelerate the connection of renewable resources
- The role of demand response and storage in the future of the region’s electricity supply
- Innovation in action – what TransGrid is learning from its low carbon networks projects
Paul Italiano, Chief Executive Officer, TransGrid
09:30 | Security and competitiveness in the New South Wales energy transformation
- Integrating energy and climate policies
- Renewables or fuel neutrality?
- Assessing the issue of consumer costs
Ross Garnaut, Distinguished Research Fellow, Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Melbourne
10:00 | Re-Powering NSW in the interest of consumers
- Best case scenario for the state’s energy-intensive industries
- The potential contribution of energy productivity improvement to sustain the competitiveness of industries
- Renewables investment in generation - can technology surprise us?
Innes Willox, Chief Executive Officer, Ai Group
10:30 | Morning tea
ORGANISING A WAY OUT OF HIGH EMISSION ENERGY RESOURCES - FOR EMPLOYEES, COMMUNITIES, INVESTORS AND COMPANIES
11:00 | PANEL DICSUSSION: Can we re-power NSW reliably at low cost?
- Analysing cost-competitive options for NSW
- How can the transition to a low carbon economy affect the State’s current and future employment?
- What impact will a renewable future have for business users?
- How to manage the transition to a cleaner mix, whilst seizing opportunities for the environment, the economy and communities?
Panel moderator:
Keith Orchison, Director, Coolibah Pty Ltd
Panellists:
Andrew Stock, Councillor, Climate Council
Innes Willox, Chief Executive Officer, Ai Group
Tony Maher, National President, CFMEU Mining and Energy Division
Ivor Frischknecht, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)
11:40 | Developing a market mechanism to facilitate the exit of the highest emissions generators
- Reviewing options for regulated power station closure
- Overcoming adverse incentive effects for plants to stay in operation in anticipation of payment for closure
- Addressing information asymmetry plaguing government payments for closure and direct regulation for exit
Frank Jotzo, Director of the Centre for Climate Economics and Policy, Australian National University
12:10 | PANEL DISCUSSION: Orderly or disorderly?
- How can NSW learn from South Australia’s transition?
- How to facilitate a more predictable phase out of the sub-critical generators in the NEM?
- What are the consequences of a late and sudden low-carbon transition?
- What are the implications of power quality challenges in re-powering NSW?
Panel moderator:
Keith Orchison, Director, Coolibah Pty Ltd
Panellists:
Tim Nelson, Head of Economics, Policy and Sustainability, AGL
Anthony Englund, Group Manager, Investment Strategy and Solutions, TransGrid
Lisa Gooding, Senior Manager, Policy and Government Affairs, Energy Australia
12:50 | Networking lunch
THE ROLE OF FOSSIL FUELS IN MAINTAINING COST COMPETITIVE ELECTRICITY, ENERGY SECURITY AND GRID STABILITY IN NSW
13:50 | A role for coal?
- Direct injection carbon engine (DICE) – the best opportunity for coal in a greenhouse constrained world?
- Overview of the development pathway for this technology and its commercial viability
- How does DICE align with the state’s RET?
Louis Wibberley, Principal Technologist, CSIRO
14:10 | Harnessing new technology for power generation – developing a high efficiency, low emissions (HELE) roadmap for NSW
- Deploying HELE coal-fired generation technologies – what are the technical and economical feasibilities?
- Paving the way for carbon capture and storage
- What technology-neutral policies and government incentives are needed to reduce the cost of these technologies?
Greg Evans, Executive Director, Coal, Minerals Council of Australia
14:30 | The potential for large-scale carbon capture storage (CCS) in Australia
- How can CCS play a role now and in the future?
- Where we are now - driving down the costs and securing efficiencies in operational monitoring and regulatory outcomes
- Next steps - 2016 and beyond for storage in Australia
Tania Constable, Chief Executive Officer, CO2CRC
14:50 | PANEL DISCUSSION: Carbon capture storage (CCS) in NSW?
- How can CCS be a solution to low carbon development?
- Is there a case for CCS in NSW in the next decade?
- Lessons from international efforts – who is getting it right?
Panel moderator:
Keith Orchison, Director, Coolibah Pty Ltd
Panellists:
Tania Constable, Chief Executive Officer, CO2CRC
Rick Fowler, Program Director, Coal Innovation NSW, NSW Government
Alex Zapantis, General Manager Asia Pacific, Global CCS Institute
15:30 | Afternoon tea
16:00 | The role of natural gas in a cleaner energy future for NSW, Australia and the region
- The role of gas as a cleaner energy source
- The role of natural gas in complementing renewable energy
- The future of the east coast gas market and the challenges facing NSW in sourcing adequate gas supply to avoid market disruption
Damian Dwyer, Director, Economics, APPEA
16:20 | PANEL DISCUSSION: Achieving affordable supplies of gas in NSW
- What are the prospects for gas generation?
- What gas supply challenges are coming for NSW?
- The role of regulation in facilitating gas generation
Panel moderator:
Keith Orchison, Director, Coolibah Pty Ltd
Panellists:
Damian Dwyer, Director, Economics, APPEA
Cheryl Cartwright, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Pipelines and Gas Association
Ed Willett, Tribunal Member, Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal, IPART
John Pierce, Chair, Australian Energy Market Commission
17:00 | Closing remarks from the Chair
17:10 | End of Day One and networking drinks