Comparative Analysis of Energy Crisis: Political and Structural Lessons from South Australia’s Blackouts and the Iberian Peninsula’s Energy Shocks

The expert panel for our upcoming session with Professor Göran Roos will include:

• Vince Duffy (Deputy Chief Executive, Department for Energy and Mining)

• Rebecca Knol (CEO, South Australian Chamber of Mines & Energy)

• Craig Oakeshott (Market Specialist, Australian Energy Market Commission)

Together with Professor Peter Draper from the School of Economics at the University of Adelaide, the panel will explore how political decisions, structural vulnerabilities, and innovation pathways shape energy resilience in South Australia and beyond.

This session will explore how structural vulnerabilities, political decision-making, and market design contributed to South Australia's 2016 blackouts and the Iberian Peninsula's recent energy crisis. It will examine how jurisdictions can enhance resilience while balancing sustainability, affordability, and reliability. Key themes include the management of political risk, the role of public trust, and implications for industry strategy — particularly for energy-intensive sectors navigating volatility. The discussion will also consider how regional ecosystems (such as South Australia’s clean energy hubs) can attract investment and foster innovation while supporting system resilience.

Professor Göran Roos

Professor Roos is a Swedish academic, technologist, author, and businessman. He is one of the founders of modern intellectual capital science and a recognised world expert in the fields of innovation management, industrial and innovation policy, and strategy.

He is an advisor to organisations and governments around the globe and holds visiting professorships in Australia, Finland, UK and Norway. Göran is a CSIRO Affiliate and a fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering (ATSE) and of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA).

Organised by Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Resources, University of Adelaide, the event will include space for discussion, encouraging participants to explore how these global insights can be applied locally. A detailed agenda will follow.