2026 Speakers

Tony Wood

Grattan Institute

Tony has been Director of the Energy Program since 2011 after 14 years working at Origin Energy in senior executive roles. From 2009 to 2014 he was also Program Director of Clean Energy Projects at the Clinton Foundation, advising governments in the Asia-Pacific region on effective deployment of large-scale, low-emission energy technologies. In 2008, he was seconded to provide an industry perspective to the first Garnaut climate change review. In January 2018, Tony was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of his significant service to conservation and the environment, particularly in the areas of energy policy, climate change and sustainability. In October 2019, Tony was elected as a Fellow to the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.

James Purtill

Office of the Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Commissioner

James Purtill is the Queensland Mine Rehabilitation Commissioner. Prior to this James held numerous senior leadership roles in government including as Director-General of the Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Energy and Queensland’s Environmental Protection Agency. His private sector experience includes roles as General Manager Sustainability for the Santos GLNG project and as Managing Director for an environmental rehabilitation company. James’ academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Science with Honours from the University of New South Wales, an MBA from the University of Queensland and is currently a PhD candidate at UQ. He is also a Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand School of Government and a Fellow of the Institute of Public Administration Australia.

Steve Davies

Australian Pipeline and Gas Association

Steve Davies is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Pipelines and Gas Association (APGA), a position he has held since 2017. With over 20 years of experience in policy development, stakeholder engagement, and leadership, Steve plays a pivotal role in advocating for Australia's energy infrastructure sector. His leadership focuses on delivering practical, evidence-based solutions to complex policy challenges, particularly in the context of Australia’s energy transition.
Steve is deeply committed to sourcing insights directly from industry professionals to drive informed, effective policy outcomes for Australia's evolving energy landscape.

Scott Muller

Townsville City Council

Scott is a highly respected civil engineer and project manager, having worked in the Queensland public and private sectors. He has extensive experience delivering projects across various industry sectors, including roads, bridges, precast concrete, railways and aviation. Working on complex and challenging projects, Scott enjoys building strong partnerships between government and the private sector, with a focus on delivering strong regional development to support and grow the community. Since May 2023, Scott has been engaged by Townsville City Council as the Program Manager for the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct, working with State agencies and private proponents to attract investment into the precinct.

Karin Stark

Farm Renewables Consulting

Karin Stark is the Director of Farm Renewables Consulting and founder and convener of the annual National Renewables in Agriculture Conference and Exhibition. Co-managing a wheat and cotton farm in Narromine NSW has given Karin a first-hand perspective of the energy challenges farmers face both on-farm and in their communities. They live on the edge of the country's first Renewable Energy Zone and she is a member of the NSW Farmer's Energy Transition Taskforce. She has published two reports: 'Pursuing an Agrivoltaic Future in Australia' and 'Farm Powered' and has been recognised in the 2023 and 2024, Top 100 Green Energy Players List, in The Australian.

Tim Buckley

Climate Energy Finance

As Director of Climate Energy Finance Australasia Tim has 35 years financial markets experience, including providing public interest related financial analysis on the energy transition since 2013, studying China, India and Australia. Tim founded Climate Energy Finance Australasia in 2022, having co-founded and worked with the global energy finance think tank IEEFA over 2013-2021. For 17 years Tim was a Managing Director at Citigroup, Head of Australasian Equity Research. Tim has published over 100 reports on the global energy transition.

Alex Hooper

Oxford Economics Australia

Alex Hooper is a macroeconomist with over 10 years of experience, Alex currently leads Oxford Economics' climate & energy economics practice in Australia. Her recent research has focused on balancing the investment and productivity opportunities of the data centre build out with the social risk of the commensurate energy and water demand.

Simon Currie

Energy Estate

Simon is a leader in the energy transition, with over 30 years of experience developing energy projects in more than 75 countries. As Co-Founder and Chief Projects Officer at Energy Estate, he leads large-scale renewable and decarbonisation initiatives encompassing onshore and offshore wind, solar, hydrogen, ammonia, and sustainable fuels across Australia, New Zealand, and other international markets .
A fervent advocate for sustainable energy solutions, Simon champions the cause of delivering enduring and sustainable outcomes for all stakeholders. Simon’s approach as a systems thinker involves designing clean energy ecosystems that accelerate decarbonisation and support the growth of new industries.

Jordan McCullom

Gas Energy Australia

As CEO of Gas Energy Australia, Jordan is a dedicated leader advocating for the role of renewable forms of LPG in the energy transition, ensuring consumers have access to secure, cost-effective, and sustainable energy solutions. With deep expertise in the gas industry, Jordan has a track record of driving policy and advocacy efforts to support decarbonisation through renewable gas uptake, mirroring the transformation seen in the electricity sector. Beyond this role, Jordan actively contributes to renewable gas technology and business strategy innovations, leveraging extensive experience
in commercial operations, innovation, and optimisation. Passionate about building a future-ready energy landscape, Jordan is dedicated to addressing the challenges of developing a new industry and unlocking the potential of renewable gas.