Forum on Energy Productivity

Forum on Energy Productivity 3 & 4 April, 2014 University of Technology, Sydney - International Keynotes Announced - Government to Target Energy Productivity - A2SE AGM

Happy new year! A2SE wishes you a happy and prosperous 2014. We hope you had a relaxing break over the festive season, as it is shaping up to be a busy year for energy productivity. Federal Government to target energy productivity The new Federal Government is developing an Energy White Paper to set the direction for energy policy in Australia. This process has begun with the release of the Energy White Paper – Issues Paper, available here. As the Issues Paper is seeking comment on many issues including Australia’s current energy productivity and efficiency situation and ways to improve productivity and efficiency, the A2SE Forum on Energy Productivity could not be more timely. Submissions to contribute to the Energy White Paper are due by Friday, 7 February, 2014. Meanwhile, the Federal Government has also identified energy efficiency as a key option for consideration in its Emissions Reduction Fund Green Paper. Comments on this document are due 21 February, 2014. Forum International Keynote Speakers Announced We are pleased to announce the following international keynote and session speakers - more speakers to be announced soon: Kateri Callahan President of U.S. Alliance to Save Energy Dan Arvizu Director and Chief Executive of the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory Robert Tromop Head of the Energy Efficiency Unit at the International Energy Agency Heather Zichal Lead U.S. White House Advisor to President Obama on Energy and Climate Change (2009-2013) Featured speakers Kateri Callahan President of U.S. Alliance to Save Energy Kateri has more than 25 years of experience in policy advocacy and coalition building. She was a driver in convincing the Obama Administration to adopt the goal of doubling energy productivity by 2030. Kateri is also instrumental in gaining community and state support and adoption of the goal by traveling and speaking across the U.S. as part of Energy 2030 on the Road - an education, outreach and action campaign. Kateri is frequently asked by media, academics, government, and industry to speak on the work and progress of the U.S. Alliance Commission on Energy Efficiency Policy and the race to doubling energy productivity by 2030. Kateri’s full biography can be read here. Dr. Dan Arvizu Chief Executive of National Renewable Energy Laboratory Dr. Dan Arvizu is the Director and Chief Executive of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, the U.S. Department of Energy's primary laboratory for energy efficiency and renewable energy research and development. He was also a Commissioner of the U.S. Alliance Commission on Energy Efficiency Policy – the team that developed the plan and persuaded the U.S. Government to adopt a goal of doubling energy productivity by 2030. After more than three decades of professional engagement in the clean energy field, Dr. Arvizu has become one of the world's leading experts on clean energy. In 2004, Dr. Arvizu was appointed by President George W. Bush for a six-year term on the National Science Board, the governing board of the National Science Foundation and the national science policy advisory body to the President and the Congress. In 2010 was reappointed by President Barack Obama to a second 6-year term. Dan’s full biography can be read here. Register now, secure your spot, and save REGISTER NOW to save $200 on the regular rate when you book your place for the 2XEP Forum before 7 March, 2014. Why a Forum on Energy Productivity? For decades, cheap and abundant energy has driven the growing Australian economy.  No longer. Energy costs have skyrocketed, with electricity prices doubling in the past 7 years, and gas prices threatening to follow suit.  The combination of high energy prices and low energy productivity means that Australia’s competitive advantage in energy costs has been eroded. Europe, the U.S. and China have adopted aggressive energy efficiency targets.  Just to keep pace with the improving OECD average, Australia will need to double its energy productivity by 2030. As energy prices rise and carbon constraints bite, Australia’s competitiveness and future prosperity depends on us using energy supplies and infrastructure much more efficiently.  The 2XEP Forum confronts this critical challenge: How do we double energy productivity in Australia? Engage with leading Australian, U.S. and other experts as we tackle these key issues:  What is the current energy productivity of key sectors of our economy?  How does this compare with world best practice? How could each sector cost-effectively double its energy productivity by 2030? What energy productivity target is right for different industries and sectors? What obstacles need to be overcome to achieve the target? What are the economic benefits of doubling energy productivity in each sector? What policy measures should government adopt?  Forum sessions include: Industrial energy productivity Residential buildings energy efficiency Optimising distributed generation and storage Commercial sector energy productivity Vehicle efficiency and electric vehicles Natural gas and energy productivity Smart appliances, smart consumers Efficiency public transport and urban design Energy market productivity and demand management Freight transport Electricity transmission and distribution productivity Mining and agriculture energy productivity Featured partner The United States Studies Centre is located at the University of Sydney, and aims to increase understanding of the U.S. in Australia. The Centre provides courses for undergraduate and postgraduate students, and hosts public and business forums. The Centre aims to bring together policy and industry experts from the U.S. and Australia to develop action-oriented solutions to a range of sustainability challenges concerning energy, water, food and biodiversity that are technologically innovative, commercially scalable and politically viable.  Supporting the Forum A2SE gratefully acknowledges the support of its partners and sponsors:                                                  If you would like to align your organisation with the Forum and the 2XEP initiative by sponsoring, please contact: Carmina Jimenez at 2XEP@a2se.org.au. A2SE AGM and Nominations for the Board The A2SE Annual General Meeting will be held in Sydney on Tuesday 4 March, 2014 from 5pm to 8pm. The AGM is an opportunity for members to shape the future of A2SE by electing the Board of Directors and participating in strategic planning. Nominations for the Board of Directors and members are open to A2SE members now. Nominations must reach the A2SE Secretary by Tuesday, 28 January, 2014. For more information on the Forum, AGM and membership, please contact:  Carmina Jimenez at 2XEP@a2se.org.au or (02) 9514-3675.

The Australian Alliance to Save Energy, Level 11, UTS Building 10, 235 Jones St, Ultimo, NSW, 2007, Ph: 02 9514 3675