Energy Horizons 2025 Conference brings experts together
A key conference event for the Transforming Energy Markets Research Centre has brought together leading experts from industry, the regulatory sector, government agencies and other stakeholders to discuss the future of energy markets.
The event, Energy Horizons 2025: Innovation across Evolving Energy Markets was held on 6 June at Macquarie University’s City Campus, with a focus on a rapidly changing market environment and the transition to decarbonisation.
The conference began with a welcome address by Professor Vito Mollica, Deputy Dean Research and Innovation and Professor Stefan Trueck, Director of the Transforming Energy Markets Research Centre, setting the stage for a day of insightful discussion.
Tim Nelson, Chair of the Review of the National Electricity Market (NEM) for the Australian Government, provided an overview of the initial findings and future directions for Australia's electricity market in a keynote presentation, The NEM Review: Early Directions.
Kathryn Smith, General Manager of the Carbon Markets Branch at the Clean Energy Regulator, shared insights into the evolution of carbon markets and their impact on Australia's energy landscape.
This was followed by Neil Lessem, Head of Economics at the Australian Energy Market Commission, who discussed the potential of new standards for retail electricity markets in his presentation Airbags Standard: The Future of Retail Electricity.
A panel discussion, moderated by Professor Trueck, explored how markets and technological innovation could facilitate a smooth energy transition. Panellists included Neil Lessem, Kathryn Smith, Tim Ryan from Ready Energy, and Alain Rai from Core Markets.
Alan Rai gave a separate presentation on trends in the offtake market for renewables and storage in the Australian NEM, while Joe Maisano, chief technology officer at Localvolts covered the potential of peer-to-peer retail electricity options.
Dr Cameron Kelly, General Counsel at the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, discussed initiatives to support green hydrogen projects in his presentation Making Green Hydrogen Projects Bankable.
The day also featured a showcase of the Transforming Energy Markets projects, including Associate Professor Madeline Taylor on unlocking the potential of agrivoltaics, Professor Sean Foley on measures for electricity market quality, and Professor Tina Soliman Hunter on emerging markets in energy decommissioning.
The conference concluded with remarks from Professor Tina Soliman Hunter, co-director of the Transforming Energy Markets Research Centre, emphasising the importance of interdisciplinary research in driving the energy transition.
This highly successful event underscored the critical role of innovation and collaboration in shaping the future of energy markets, paving the way for a sustainable and decarbonised energy future.