The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) today announced the appointment of the five-member Consumer Panel tasked with engaging with AEMO throughout the development process for the 2022 Integrated System Plan (ISP).
The ISP is a whole-of-system plan that provides an integrated roadmap for the efficient development of the National Electricity Market (NEM) over the next 20 years and beyond. AEMO updates the plan every two years, with the most recent ISP released in July 2020.
AEMO Chief External Affairs Officer, Tony Chappel, said: “I congratulate Dr. Andrew Nance to his appointment as Chair of the Panel, as well as panel members Mark Grenning, Gavin Dufty, Stephanie Bashir and Richard Owens.
“They each have an important role to play in providing expert review to the development of the ISP, with combined expertise and experience that will provide a focus on consumer perspectives which is critically important in the ISP development process,” he said.
The National Electricity Rules enshrine the creation of an ISP Consumer Panel for the preparation of ISPs. The panel provides written reports to AEMO on the ISP Inputs, Assumptions and Scenarios Report and the Draft ISP within two months of each AEMO publication. In preparing these reports, the ISP Consumer Panel must have regard to the long-term interest of consumers.
The 2022 ISP Consumer Panel appointments were made after a call for expressions of interest in September 2020 generated over 20 applications.
ISP Consumer Panel Reports form part of AEMO’s ISP decision making and the Draft and Final ISPs will set out AEMO’s consideration of ISP Consumer Panel reports. The Panel will be in place until after the publication of the 2022 ISP.
“I welcome the new members and look forward to engaging with the inaugural panel as we progress work on the next ISP report,” said Mr Chappel.
2022 ISP Panel – Biographies in Brief
Dr. Andrew Nance (Chair)
Andrew is one of South Australia’s most widely experienced energy specialists. He has served as Technical Director of the SA Government’s Sustainability and Climate Change Division, spent a decade advising SACOSS, served on the AEMC’s Reliability Panel and on the AER’s Consumer Challenge Panel. Currently, he is a Director at The Energy Project Pty. Ltd. and chairs SA Power Networks Consumer Consultative Panel and Connections Working Group. His project experience includes scrutiny of the proposed SA-NSW Interconnector and of SA Power Networks 2020-25 Regulatory proposals.
Gavin Dufty
Gavin has over 30 years of leadership experience in community welfare and advocacy, along with a comprehensive understanding of consumer protection issues related to energy and water. He has participated in multiple high-level forums and working groups including the AEMC Reliability Panel and has contributed to the development of Victorian Retail Code and the National Consumer Energy Framework.
Mark Grenning
Mark is an experienced energy consultant with a focus on the consumer side. After a 30-year career with Rio Tinto with particular focus on electricity and gas supply to operations, his work now includes being the Director of Policy and Regulation for the Energy Users Association of Australia and a member of the Australian Energy Regulator’s Consumer Challenge Panel. His EUAA work includes advocacy to all energy market bodies and Governments, and membership of many network consumer consultation forums. He was a long-term member of the AEMC Reliability Panel. He currently presents a course on Energy Supply Chains as part of Melbourne University’s Master of Energy Systems degree and is a long-time member of the Grattan Institute Energy Reference Group.
Stephanie Bashir
Stephanie is a well-known industry leader, with more than 18 years of commercial experience in complex and matrix-style environments. Stephanie has held energy sector leadership roles in technical, commercial, strategic, policy, advisory and engagement; with expertise in energy market policy and regulation, new energy technologies and service innovation, grid modernisation and electric vehicles. She is the Founder and Principal of Nexa Advisory, and previously led the policy vision and strategy at AGL Energy in relation to new energy technologies & services. She had key roles in driving the clean energy transformation and establishing the national policy agenda around virtual power plants, and competition reforms in new energy technologies and services.
Richard Owens
Richard has over 20 years’ experience as a regulator, policy maker and adviser to regulated businesses. He brings unique experience and insights from having led the development and application of utility regulation and policy at senior levels across a range of regulated industries including electricity, gas, telecommunications, water and ports. He is currently a director at farrierswier, where he provides policy and regulatory advice across a range of regulated utility sectors. He is also an Associate Commissioner of the Utilities Commission of the Northern Territory. He previously held senior roles at the Australian Energy Market Commission overseeing AEMC rule changes and reviews and engagement with stakeholders.
Learn more about the ISP 2022 here.