Embracing clean energy in government

Speaker abstracts and biographies

Chair: Dr Richard Aldous, Deputy Secretary Energy and Earth Resoruces, Department of Primary Industries
Dr Richard Aldous, Victoria’s Deputy Secretary of Energy and Earth Resources, has been with the Victorian Government since 2002. His background is in geoscience, chemical engineering, technology, business development and corporate planning.

Prior to government he worked with a number of international resources companies including BHP, Newcrest, Iluka and Western Mining Corporation (WMC). Richard has been actively involved in promoting the strategic use of Victoria’s brown coal including technology demonstration and carbon capture and storage.

He has also overseen the development of new legislation for geothermal resources and carbon sequestration. 
 

---

Alice Springs - the heart and solar centre of Australia
Alice Springs is one of the seven cities chosen to participate in the Australian Government's Solar Cities program. The aim of the Alice Solar City project is to empower the local community to become energy champions through combination of an innovative community engagement strategy, energy efficiency measures, solar energy technology, smart electricity metering and tariffs and interactive in-home energy displays. In addition to targeting the residential and commercial sector in Alice Springs, the project is supporting the development of four large scale, iconic solar energy installations, showcasing a range of technologies including flat plate fixed and tracking photovoltaic systems, tracking concentrating photovoltaic's and solar thermal pool heating.

This presentation will outline the Alice Solar City project, the lessons learnt and achievements to date.  It will also touch on other solar energy projects in Central Australia, including the world-class solar technology demonstration centre.

[ download presentation ]

Brian Elmer, General Manager, Alice Solar City
Brian Elmer is the General Manager of the Alice Solar City project. He has worked in the development and implementation of sustainable energy programs for 15 years. This has included setting up and running various programs in Queensland, and four years developing and implementing renewable energy programs in England and Scotland. He has a bachelor of Environmental Science.

Preparing an environment for the brave new world of renewable energy
Jurisdictions which are serious about increasing the amount of renewable energy generated need to prepare their infrastructure to manage for a high level of connectivity by renewable generators. Preparing an electricity infrastructure environment that encourages growth in the renewable energy sector is an important trigger to increased investment in and production of renewable energy.

What is the role of Governments and Regulators in planning and proving the opportunities for the growth in generation of renewable energy?  What levers can be used to achieve this goal?

What are the challenges that need to be met in this area and how best can they be managed by the industry, regulators and Governments?

Nicholas Jacobsen, Renewable Energy Technical Analyst, RenewablesSA
Nic is Senior Engineer Renewable Energy at RenewablesSA. He is involved with policy development and analysis, assessment of funding applications and project management.

Nic is a Civil Engineer, has a Masters of Science in Renewable Energy and is an alumnus of the Centre for Sustainability Leadership.  He has extensive experience in the renewable energy industry as a consultant with Garrad Hassan (now GL Garrad Hassan), GHD and with the developer Acciona Energy. He has also spent time as a volunteer installing solar power systems in Vanuatu.
 

It will therefore cover:

• the relevant aspects of Parts 3A, 4 and 5 of the EP&A Act as well as the recent [/proposed] changes to the Infrastructure and Complying Development SEPPs (State Environment Planning Policies);
• the Renewable Energy Precincts initiative; and
• recent decisions of the Land and Environment Court (including King v Minister for Planning which had a particularly interesting outcome).

Peter Hawkes, Special Counsel - Planning, Government, Infrastructure and Environment, Herbert Geer, Sydney
Peter Hawkes is a multi-disciplinary lawyer with over 11 years of professional legal experience in Australia and the UK. Peter is a member of Herbert Geer’s Projects Team and is the key NSW contact for the Energy sector.

Prior to joining Hebert Geer, Peter was a Senior Corporate Lawyer at Snowy Hydro Limited and advised extensively on the feasibility, development and construction of clean energy projects including:

• the Jounama Small Hydro power station;
• numerous upgrade projects to the Snowy Mountains Scheme and Snowy Hydro’s Victorian gas-fired power stations; and
• other potential additions to Snowy Hydro’s generation portfolio. 

Peter also has extensive emissions trading experience as a result of over four years working in London advising European and American clients on the EU ETS and the important role of environmental markets realising investment in clean energy projects.

Importantly, having been "the client" for more than three years, Peter fully understands and appreciates value for money legal services regardless of the size or complexity of the issue at hand.

Peter is passionate about helping clients to carry on their business and to develop and implement their growth strategies by efficiently and effectively managing the legal risks involved.