1.4 million Australian homes have installed solar energy to save money and contribute to addressing climate change. With the prospect of cheap battery storage, maybe they also expected to disconnect from the grid. But, has the result been all that we expected and what does the future hold? This Forward Thinking seminar explored the economic case for solar and how we need to get network prices and policy settings fixed to ensure that solar really can help deliver fairer, cheaper and more sustainable electricity.
Moderator
Jennifer Hewett is the national affairs columnist for The Australian Financial Review. She writes a daily column on page two of the paper focussed on business and political issues. Jennifer has been a journalist for more than three decades, working in Canberra, Sydney and the US for major Australian papers owned by News and Fairfax. She appears regularly on tv and radio.
Speakers
David Blowers is the Energy Fellow at Grattan Institute. David has extensive experience developing both energy and broader public policy in both Australia and the UK. He has spent the past three years working on energy and earth resources policy for the Victorian State Government, where he recently led the review of the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target scheme.
Paula Conboy is Chair of the Australian Energy Regulator. Paula has over 20 years’ experience in public utility regulation in Australia and Canada. After starting her career at the Industry Commission in Australia, Paula became the Senior Economist at Sydney Water Corporation just after the utility was incorporated. Moving to Canada, Paula joined the Ontario Energy Board as a senior staff member. She later held several senior positions at PowerStream Inc., ending up as its Vice-President of Regulatory and Government Affairs.
