Opening comments by facilitator

Dr Alex Wonhas, is Global Managing Director Energy, Resources and Manufacturing at Aurecon, a leading engineering advisory firm.

Alex’s team at Aurecon is shaping the transformation of Australia’s energy system with governments, utilities and large users of energy. For example, Aurecon has advised the South Australian government on the procurement on the world’s largest battery and a number of other cutting edge energy solutions. Aurecon has also developed the comprehensive energy strategy for one of Australia’s largest users of energy.

Alex joined Aurecon in February last year from CSIRO, where he was Executive Director for Environment, Energy and Resources. At CSIRO, Alex has been a key contributor to the Australian energy debate for well over a decade. Among many initiatives, Alex was instrumental in initiating the Network Transformation Roadmap together with the Energy Networks Association (ENA), which engaged widely across the whole Australian power sector grounded and developed a roadmap for the future of network businesses grounded in technical and economic reality.

Alex also had first hand experience in the development and commercialisation of a number of transformative energy technologies ranging from grid-scale battery storage to AI based energy optimisation through BuildingIQ, an ASX listed energy services business.

Prior to Aurecon and CSIRO, Alex worked at McKinsey, where he co- authored the first Australian Carbon Abatement Cost Curve. Alex holds a PhD in Theoretical Physics from the University of Cambridge, UK.