MEInetwork24 Seminar #5: Energy markets in an isolated grid

HYBRID EVENT

The Melbourne Energy Institute invites you to the fifth seminar for 2024, presented by Mr Cameron Owens, Head of DER & Engineering, Future Energy at Synergy.

With no interconnection, the National Electrical Market (NEM) faces some unique challenges as the world progresses through the energy transition. This seminar will start with an overview of the traditional electricity market and how this is implemented on the west coast in the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM) and the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) on which it operates. It will cover some of the key market and network services that come together to provide electricity to customers and how this flows through to their bills.

In the second part of this seminar, Cameron will focus on the key changes from the energy transition and their impact on the WEM and SWIS. This will include a discussion on the changing fuel mix in the WEM and shift to more inverter-based resources, DER or CER uptake by customers changing the flow of energy in the network, the flow on impacts to the management of the SWIS, how these impacts are being addressed through the WEM and the change that the customers are seeing. Considering all of this, Cameron will finish with a view of what the future power system might look like in the WEM.

SPEAKER:

Mr Cameron Owens, Head of DER & Engineering, Future Energy at Synergy

With over 12 years in the energy sector, Cameron Owens leads a team focused on renewables, DER, and storage. He has driven his company’s DER strategic initiative, securing their first Virtual Power Plant (VPP) for market services. Cameron is committed to addressing the challenges of the energy transition, focusing on the strategic integration of renewables, storage, and DER to facilitate a seamless shift from traditional generation. His goal is to deliver the best results for their customers by providing low-cost, low-carbon, and reliable energy solutions, particularly within the context of Western Australia’s unique energy grid. Cameron hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering (UWA) and an MBA (University of Manchester).

MODERATOR:

Dr Andrea Vecchi, Research Fellow - Clean Energy and Clean Transport, Mechanical Engineering, University of Melbourne

Andrea holds a PhD in Engineering jointly awarded by the University of Birmingham (UK) and The University of Melbourne. Prior to undertaking post-graduate research, Andrea received his Bachelors and master’s degree in Energy Engineering from Politecnico di Torino (Italy) and gained industrial experience as an R&D Engineer.

In the last 6 years, Andrea has gained complementary and transversal knowledge in academic and industrial settings, blending research activities with involvement in international projects and student supervision.