Energy Talks by Qld Energy Club

Episode 16: Energy Talks. "ON TRACK TO NET ZERO?"

Thursday 29 January 2026 Introducing Associate Professor Simon Smart and Professor Belinda Wade from The University of Queensland. Australia’s climate transition is moving forward, but are we actually on track to reach net zero by 2050?  In this episode of Energy Talks, Associate Professor Simon Smart and Professor Belinda Wade, both members of the Net Zero Australia Steering Committee, unpack the project’s latest findings including updated modelling of Australia's decarbonisation pathways and the team's inaugural Progress Tracker.  Together, they explore what the modelling really says about renewable build rates, firming, carbon removals, infrastructure requirements and the scale of investment ahead. Just as importantly, they examine the non-technical challenges now shaping Australia’s transition: approvals bottlenecks, workforce capacity, community trust and the social licence needed to deliver projects at speed.  With Queensland set to play a central role in the energy transition, this conversation highlights what’s working, where momentum is slowing, and what it will take to align ambition with delivery.  Belinda and Simon are part of the wider Net Zero Australia team. The Net Zero Australia reports reflect the work of a large interdisciplinary project team. For full authorship and attribution, please refer to the reports available at: https://www.netzeroaustralia.net.au/ If you want clear, evidence-based insights into Australia’s net zero journey, this episode is essential listening. The Queensland Energy Club welcomes Associate Professor Simon Smart and Professor Belinda Wade as our guest speakers for Episode 16 of ‘Energy Talks’.

Episode 15: Energy Talks. 'CHARTING NEW TERRITORY'

Wednesday 20 August 2025  Introducing Greg Elkins, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Global Power Energy.     Global Power Energy is an advisory firm led by experts with extensive technical, regulatory and commercial experience across AEMO, generators, networks, and OEMs. Their team brings whole-of-system thinking to every engagement, offering system-wide insight and practical solutions - a one-stop shop for renewable energy project requirements. With offices around Australia, Global Power Energy is home to over 500 years operational and regulatory experience in its leadership and specialist teams alone - a purpose-built consultancy that truly knows the power system from end-to-end. Their strength lies in translating technical knowledge into strategic thinking and commercial model design.  Greg started his career in Townsville, Queensland. Then he joined AEMO as Manager of Network development at the time, which eventually turned into National Connections. After some time, he started Global Power Energy during COVID. After winning his first big client, the company just grew from there, into what it is today.  In this podcast, Greg will discuss his journey from Townsville to leading Global Power Energy, his approach, questioning assumptions, balancing economics with engineering, driving collaboration and demonstrating where his point of difference lies, which is exactly what Queensland's energy future needs.  The Queensland Energy Club welcomes Greg Elkins as our guest speaker for Episode 15 of ‘Energy Talks’.

Episode 14: Energy Talks. 'KOREAN RESILIENCE'

Friday 25 July 2025  Introducing Kyu Hong Lee, Chief Strategy Officer at Elecseed.    Elecseed is a progressive Renewable Energy Developer and Consultancy providing innovation, technical eminence, funding, and multifaceted solutions to deal with the paradigm shift in how we generate, manage, and consume energy.  With offices in Seoul Korea and Brisbane Australia, Elecseed identifies and leads specific market needs, not only to propel our drive to a greener future but also satisfy the immediate economic needs and demands.  Kyu is an advocate of sustainability and passionate about clean technology. With a military background as a Captain in the Korean Airforce, Kyu went on to establish Orange Project Group and Elecseed Lab, foreign direct investment consultancy and development companies in the construction and renewables sector respectively. Through these companies his focus in bringing people together and setting up sound organisational and financial structure with international partners has taken shape.  In this podcast, Kyu will discuss: doing business between Australia and Korea, the good synergy between the two countries; the challenges faced; and why the Koreans are investing in clean energy technology in Australia.  The Queensland Energy Club welcomes Kyu Hong Lee as our guest speaker for Episode 14 of ‘Energy Talks’.

Episode 12: Energy Talks. ‘24/7 AND THE DECARBONISATION OF POWER MARKETS’

Introducing James Allan, a Senior Director at Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners, who leads Quinbrook’s Digital Strategies. Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners is an ESG-focused, ‘value add’ investment manager with a specialist focus on low carbon and renewable energy supply, storage, grid stability, and flexibility services including the algorithmic optimisation of dispatchable power assets using advanced AI data science. James led Quinbrook’s acquisition of Habitat Energy in 2021 and has been involved with the wider Quinbrook investment team focusing on wind, solar, storage, green data centres, green hydrogen and decentralised investment strategies such as virtual power plants. He is responsible for the firm’s digital strategies including machine learning based algorithmic trading, hourly tracing and matching of renewable power and approaches to advanced weather prediction. In this podcast, James will discuss three key topics: The next stage of grid decarbonization requires storage at scale to leverage abundant variable renewable energy; Green power delivered on a 24/7 basis is the ‘Holy Grail’ that will underpin future industry, from green data centers to green fuels and critical minerals; and Major power users increasingly need to be able to trace, on an auditable basis, the source of their hourly consumption as a pre-requisite to their social license and business case. The Queensland Energy Club welcomes James Allan as our guest speaker for Episode 12 of ‘Energy Talks’.

Episode 10: Energy Talks. ‘LEADERSHIP IN A TIME OF CRISIS’

Wednesday 29 March 2023 Introducing Andrew Bills, the Chief Executive Officer of CS Energy, a large Queensland-based generation company. He has over 25 years experience in the energy industry across the public and private sectors, covering power generation, retail supply, distribution, LPG and energy trading. Andrew’s previous roles include Executive roles at Origin Energy, Babcock and Brown Power, Stanwell Corporation and as a Director at PwC. In this podcast, Andrew will discuss his journey as the CEO of CS Energy and his perspective on leadership during a time of crisis. Andrew discusses significant high-profile events that have taken place during his tenure, including the C4 incident as well as a cyber-attack, but focuses on how he has responded to such crises as a leader. Andrew emphasises that the key to responding to a crisis is to prioritise people's safety, security, and well-being. He shares his thoughts on what he has learned as a leader, including the importance of collaboration, communication, and having a clear and consistent vision for the organisation. The Queensland Energy Club welcomes Andrew Bills as our guest speaker for Episode 10 of ‘Energy Talks’.