Electricity Generation to 2050 Symposium
Foreword
As the inaugural Chair in Sustainable Energy at the University of Sydney, sponsored by Delta Electricity, Professor Tony Vassallo and Peter Young, Chairman of Delta Electricity, were pleased to host the first Electricity Generation to 2050 Symposium.
This timely discussion brought together internationally recognised speakers and industry leaders. They examined the political, technological and financial aspects of electricity generation in the future.
Each speaker has provided us with a summary of their contribution to the day’s proceedings and these can be found in the links below to provide a reference for reflecting on the future of this vital sector.
Comments from attendees emphasised that they valued the unique opportunity provided by the Symposium for thought leaders to share their knowledge and perspectives.
Looking at the generation industry in 2050 and discussing its future was an ambitious task. It was a timely discussion given the current policy context and the long lead times for energy infrastructure development.
Both Tony Vassallo and Peter Young thank the speakers and invited guests for their attendance and contribution to a very successful and valuable Symposium.
Symposium Presentations
Dr. Cameron Hepburn, Oxford University School of Enterprise and Environment
Post Copenhagen – Status of the global accords
Dr Cameron Hepburn is an environmental economist specialising in climate-change policy and long-term decision-making.
In addition to his teaching and research fellowships at Oxford and the London School of Economics, he is actively involved in public policy as a member of the UK Government’s Defra Academic Panel and as adviser to various governments, the UN and the OECD through his position as Founder and Director of Vivid Economics, an economics consultancy. He contributed two background research papers to the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, and recently co-edited The Economics and Politics of Climate Change published by Oxford University Press.
Cameron’s work has been highlighted in print media such as the Financial Times, the Economist, the Guardian, the Age and the Sydney Morning Herald, and he has been interviewed on radio such as the the World Business Review on the BBC World Service and the Today Program on BBC Radio 4. Cameron is also a Director of Climate Bridge, a company focussed on reducing greenhouse gas emissions in China. He holds first class degrees in Law and Chemical Engineering from Melbourne University, an MPhil in Economics from Magdalen College, Oxford and a DPhil in Economics from Nuffield College (as a Rhodes Scholar).
Professor Geoff Garrett, CEO The United States Study Centre
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The United States Policy Context and Implications for Australia
Professor Geoffrey Garrett, Chief Executive Officer, The United States Study Centre
Dr Geoffrey Garrett is founding CEO of the United States Studies Centre and Professor of Political Science at the University of Sydney. He was previously President of the Pacific Council on International Policy in Los Angeles and before that Dean of the UCLA International Institute.
Garrett is a frequent commentator on all aspects of US politics, economics and foreign policy in Australian media, including The Australian, Australian Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald, Sky TV and ABC radio and television programs.
Among the most influential political scientists of his generation, Garrett is author of Partisan Politics in the Global Economy, editor of The Global Diffusion of Markets and Democracy, both published by Cambridge University Press, and over fifty articles in the world's leading social science journals.
Garrett has held academic appointments at Oxford, Stanford and Yale universities and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a member of the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations as well as the Los Angeles-based Pacific Council on International Policy.
A dual citizen of Australia and the US, Garrett was born and raised in Canberra and holds a BA (Hons) from the Australian National University. He earned his MA and PhD at Duke University in North Carolina, where he was a Fulbright Scholar.
Anna Skarbek, Executive Director ClimateWorks Australia
Policy Settings for Low Emissions Energy Infrastructure
Anna Skarbek is Executive Director of ClimateWorks Australia, a new non-profit organisation established by the Monash Sustainability Institute in partnership with The Myer Foundation.
Anna is currently leading the first project for ClimateWorks Australia, a Low Carbon Growth Plan, working with McKinsey & Co and the Australian and Victorian Governments to identify the least cost opportunities for emissions reduction across the major sectors of the Australian economy and produce a roadmap for implementation. The Low Carbon Growth Plan is the first economy wide emissions reduction strategy for Australia. It identifies 54 least cost opportunities that together can achieve a reduction in emissions of 25% below 2000 levels within the next 10 years, while both continuing to grow the economy and offering profitable opportunities for business. The McKinsey Australian Greenhouse Gas Abatement Cost Curve has been updated as part of this project. The Plan builds from the updated Australian cost curve, translates it to the investor perspective, and analyses the most effective actions required to overcome barriers specific to each sector and harness the identified emissions reductions opportunities, in six key sectors – power, forestry, industry, buildings, agriculture and transport.
Previously Anna was working in London where she was Vice President at Climate Change Capital, a specialist investment manager and advisor dedicated to raising and deploying capital for low carbon activities.
Philippe Paelinck, Director CO2 Product Alstom
Adapting Existing Technologies
Philippe Paelinck is Director CO2Business Development for Alstom, based in the company’s headquarters in Paris.
Philippe is responsible for developing and implementing a global power strategy for all CO2 related matters in order to strengthen Alstom’s offering including external growth opportunities and partnerships. He provides technical and commercial support to promote CO2 capture solutions to the market. His position was created to address the opportunities and challenges of the fast growing international carbon market.
Philippe regularly speaks around the world on CO2 abatement technologies and reduction strategies and is commonly featured in media on this subject.
Philippe has an extensive sales and technical background with Honeywell's UOP, a worldwide market leader in refining and petrochemical process licensing. He is co-leader of the Task Force (Demonstration and Implementation) of the European Union Zero Emission Platform (ZEP).
He is a member of the World Energy Council’s Cleaner Fossil Fuels Systems committee. The Committee promotes the understanding and knowledge worldwide of the strategic role of fossil fuels in meeting the growing energy demand and securing energy supplies.
Philippe is a Chemical Engineer from the ISIB/Brussels and holds an MBA from the Erasmus/Rotterdam (NL) and Rochester (NY) Universities.
Professor Tony Vassallo, Delta Electricity Chair in Sustainable Energy Development
Distributed Energy, Renewables and Energy Storage
Tony conducts research in the area of sustainable energy development, with a focus on distributed energy and energy storage. Tony holds the inaugural Delta Electricity Chair in Sustainable Energy Development at the University of Sydney. Prior to this, Tony held the position of Senior Principal Research Scientist with the Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation until 2003, followed by a period where he was a consultant to industry and government in the field of sustainable energy technology.
Tony has an honours degree in Chemistry and a PhD in Energy Science. He is the Vice President of the Australian Institute of Energy and the Australian Co-Editor for the International Journal of Distributed Energy Resources. His energy storage research has been recognised with the CSIRO Chairman's Medal, for the Low Emissions Vehicle Team (joint) in 2000. He also shared the CSIRO Medal for Research Achievement in 2004, as joint team leader of the High Power Supercapacitor Team.
Richard Wagner, Head of Investment Banking Morgan Stanley
Financing New Generation Facilities
Richard joined Morgan Stanley in 2005 as Head of Investment Banking in Australia. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Richard spent 10 years at ABN AMRO in various senior positions, including Head of Investment Banking in Australia and New Zealand. Richard has been a leading adviser to the Power & Utilities sector in Australia. Richard has 22 years investment banking experience and holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of New South Wales.
His transaction experience includes advising the Commonwealth Government on the impacts of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) on Australia’s electricity generation sector, adviser to the NSW Government’s Owen Inquiry into Electricity Supply in NSW and adviser to Temasek/Singapore Government on their $10bn privatisation of Singapore’s 3 generation businesses.
Richard has been an adviser in other key transactions in Australia and abroad including Singapore Power’s $14bn joint takeover of Alinta, NRG’s $513m sale of Flinders Power, $3.5bn sale of Loy Yang A to AGL and Tepco, AEP’s $1.6bn sale of Citipower, CKI’s $2.3bn acquisition of Powercor, AGL’s $1.2bn IPO of Australian Pipeline Trust and Alliant’s $539m sale of Southern Hydro.
Brendan Lyon, Executive Director Infrastructure Partnerships Australia
Building Infrastructure for 2050
Brendan joined Infrastructure Partnerships Australia in early 2006. Initially appointed to establish the organisation’s policy team, Brendan worked on a range of major papers that helped establish IPA as the voice of the national infrastructure sector.
Notably, Brendan led the organisation’s work on the 2007 paper, Australia’s Infrastructure Priorities: Securing Our Prosperity. This paper quantified a range of projects and priority reforms - including the appointment of a coordinating national minister for infrastructure and the appointment of Infrastructure Australia - as well as key market reforms across economic and social infrastructure and utilities.
In mid 2007, Brendan was appointed to head IPA’s media and government relations functions, before being appointed as the Executive Director in early 2008.
Since being appointed to this role, IPA has significantly increased its output of policy and research. The organisation is currently working on major papers which model the phase in of new base load technologies; the opportunities posed by a national road pricing scheme; and new models to fund and finance the delivery of urban rail projects.
With more than a decade's experience spanning public policy and business, Brendan brings a sharp focus to policy reform. He is currently completing a Master of Business Administration (MBA), adding to his professional development.
Nick Rowley, Director, Kinesis
Challenges and Opportunities Towards 2050
Nick Rowley is a Director of Kinesis; a Sydney based firm working with government and private clients on tackling the climate problem. In addition to providing high level strategy advice, Kinesis develops smart digital systems allowing clients to access the key information needed to understand their sustainability performance and go beyond the requirements of regulation.
Prior to establishing Kinesis with fellow Director Bruce Taper in 2007, Nick worked for more than ten years at the centre of government on sustainability, climate change and broader policy and political strategy in Australia and the UK.
In 2004 -6, Nick advised Tony Blair on sustainability and climate change. During Nick’s time at Downing Street the government initiated the influential Stern Review into the Economics of Climate Change and commenced work on the 2007 Energy White Paper. From 1995 to 2004 Nick was advisor to Bob Carr, Premier of NSW, working primarily on policy on the environment, urban development and medical research.
Until January this year Nick worked as Strategic Director for the Copenhagen Climate Council. Council members included US Energy Secretary Steven Chu; former UK Chief Scientist Sir David King, and the CEOs of major energy and other businesses active in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Nick is also a regular commentator on climate issues in the Australian and international media, is on the Advisory Board of ‘G Magazine’, and is a Fellow of the Australian New Zealand School of Government.