People
Assoc Professor Yolande Strengers
Chief Investigator, Digital Energy Futures (DEF)
Associate Director of Consumers, Monash Energy Institute (MEI)
Yolande is a digital sociologist and human-computer interaction scholar investigating the energy and gender effects of digital, emerging and smart technologies. Yolande is the leader of the Energy Futures research theme at the Emerging Technologies Research Lab.
Professor Sarah Pink
Chief Investigator, Digital Energy Futures (DEF)
Associate Director of Consumers, Monash Energy Institute (MEI)
Director of the Emerging Technologies Research Lab, Sarah's research focuses on emerging intelligent technologies, automation, data, digital futures, safety and design for wellbeing.
Dr Larissa Nicholls
Senior Research Fellow
Strategic Member, GEER (Group of Energy Efficiency Researchers)
Larissa is an experienced Research Fellow delivering industry-relevant research in the fields of energy consumption and policy, health & wellbeing, household vulnerability, smart technologies, and urban design.
Dr Kari Dahlgren
Postdoctoral Academic Research Fellow
Kari is a social anthropologist and ethnographer interested in the social and ethical aspects of energy production and consumption in Australia.
Hayley McKee
Project Officer
An experienced communications specialist, project manager and published author, Hayley brings to the team extensive skills in interpreting multi-level projects into achievable, deadline-driven outcomes.
Dr Jathan Sadowski
Research Fellow
Jathan works on the political economy of smart systems. At the Emerging Technologies Research Lab, he contributes to a range of different projects, including studying how people live in smart homes, reshaping how utility companies forecast digital energy futures and analysing the implications of automated decision-making in society.
Hannah Korsmeyer
Research Fellow
Hannah brings expertise in co-design research methodologies. Drawing on her interdisciplinary background, her research centres on engaging diverse stakeholders in collaborative approaches to anticipate and envision alternative futures.
Partners
We are proud to partner with some of the country’s leading thinkers in the energy industry.
Lynne Gallagher
Acting CEO & Director of Research, Energy Consumers Australia
Partner Investigator, Digital Energy Futures
Chair, Digital Energy Futures Advisory Committee
Lynne has more than 20 years experience in energy markets and leads the Energy Consumers Australia (ECA) research program, including a $2 million per annum Grants Program and the innovative $2 million Power Shift Program. Prior to ECA, she spent over a decade as a consulting economist and strategy executive, leading evidence-based policy and programs in the areas of energy markets, agriculture, water reform and sustainability, and economic development for regional and Indigenous Australians.
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Dr Robert Simpson
Senior Analyst – Demand Management, Ausgrid
Partner Investigator, Digital Energy Futures
An experienced energy and utility industry professional who is passionate about the transition towards a sustainable, affordable and clean energy future. His most recent role focuses on developing and delivering new and innovative projects, programs, research and strategies utilising new technologies and energy data analytics.
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Craig Tupper
Demand Management & Forecasting Manager, Ausgrid
Project Management Committee member, Digital Energy Futures
Craig’s experience is in the development of demand management strategy and programs, spatial demand forecasting, energy efficiency support to customers and environmental sustainability strategy and programs.
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Kailin O’Neill
Communication & Project Officer, Ausgrid
Project Management Committee member, Digital Energy Futures
Working in the Demand Management & Forecasting team at Ausgrid, Kailin manages a range of marketing, communication and project-related activities. This includes developing stakeholder engagement communications and managing customer research projects.
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Catherine Gip
Customer Engagement Manager, AusNet Services
Project Management Committee member, Digital Energy Futures
With broad exposure across industry, government and community organisations, Catherine is currently responsible for developing customer engagement strategies at AusNet Services to improve business understanding of customer preferences, needs and views.
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Stephanie Judd
Customer Research Manager, AusNet Services
Partner Investigator, Digital Energy Futures
Stephanie holds a doctorate in social marketing and has extensive experience in the design and implementation of qualitative and quantitative research projects. At AusNet Services she is responsible for the timely delivery of relevant insights to inform decision-making, customer experience improvements and strategy development.
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Advisory Committee
The role of the Advisory Committee is to strategically guide the project and take the research into the broader energy industry. Members are chosen based on their expertise and represent an extensive cross-section of our stakeholder groups.
Dean Lombard
Senior Energy Analyst, Renew
Dean is an energy policy specialist, experienced in social research and social policy. He is responsible for policy analysis and advocacy in national and state energy markets, with an emphasis on vulnerable households and consumers concerned with environmental sustainability and minimising their carbon footprint.
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Kellie Caught
Senior Advisor Energy and Climate, Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS)
Kellie has more than 10 years experience developing and advocating technical and innovative climate change policies at a state, federal and international level. As Senior Advisor of Energy and Climate at ACOSS, Kellie leads the development of strategic policy, advocacy and research directions on climate and energy with a focus on the rights and interests of low and modest-income people and, secondary to that, the community services that support these groups.
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Alicia Webb
Manager of Strategic Engagement, Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)
Alicia assists in the transition of Australia's electricity system. Her experience includes working in industry and government, with a focus on energy wholesale markets and security, wind energy planning policy, and industry development. At AEMO she is involved in the new Emerging Markets and Services division to deliver distributed energy marketplace trials.
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Kate Wild
Senior Adviser, Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC)
Kate is a utility professional with over 10 years of experience providing strategic and regulatory advice. With AEMC she project leads and advises on hardship programs to help vulnerable energy customers.
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Andrew Davis
GM Strategy & Commercial Electricity Distribution, Jemena
Andrew manages commercial strategy, network innovation and metering, asset investment, and commercial connections for Jemena, who owns and operates a diverse portfolio of energy and water transportation assets across the east coast of Australia. He is Director of the Electric Vehicle Council, a representative body made up of participants from across the scope of electric vehicle industries, leading the push to increase the uptake of electric vehicles in Australia.
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David Markham
DER and Networks Policy Manager, Australian Energy Council (AEC)
As a policy manager with AEC, David’s expertise includes the better integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DER), to benefit all energy customers. DER can include behind-the-meter energy sources, such as renewable, batteries and non-renewable power sources.
Neil Horrocks
Director, Centre for Energy Data Innovation Chair, CitySmart
Neil has more than 30 years of experience in the energy and sustainability industries. He leads the University of Queensland’s Redback Technologies Research Centre, whose key research areas include network data infrastructure, network management using big data, network intelligence from big data and visualisation of energy data for individuals and industry professionals. As Chair of CitySmart, Neil oversees the sustainability agency for Brisbane City Council, Australia’s largest local government, to promote the value of living and working sustainably and accessing the tools to facilitate this.
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Bronwen Jennings
Director of Consumer Policy, Australian Energy Regulator (AER)
Bronwen is the AER’s Director of Consumer Policy. She has worked in consumer policy, legal and advocacy roles in regulated markets in Australia, the UK and New Zealand since 2004, and before that as a litigation lawyer.
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Grant Stepa
Advisor, Rheem Australia
Grant's skill set spans telecoms, systems engineering, renewables, ICT and logistics, and utilities industry experience. His extensive and diverse engineering background includes renewable energy management systems and demand management.
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