- Darren Pace, Young Engineers Australia
The Australian energy challenge is a tough one: meet growing demand, from an increasing population while managing costs, decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and maintaining social equity. To do this, Australia’s energy generation profile will change dramatically over time and location. This presentation reviews the current structure of energy markets, the expected growth of the market and compares energy production methods relative to their social, environmental, economic and technical attributers and influences.
To 2050, a shift from coal as a dominant fuel source for electricity will be catalysed by natural gas. Natural gas is a practical and abundant transitional fuel that can reduce stationary energy emission intensity with existing technology while renewable energy (sourced from wind, solar and geothermal) takes root. Renewable energy development in Australia will also help grow our greatest energy resource: an exportable technical competitive advantage in renewable technology, and realise our future as a clever energy country that can re-energise the world.
Not limited to supply issues, the essay discusses the great potential of advances in demand management and energy storage and their role in Australia’s energy future, to smooth out demand curves and reduce maximum demand.
The authors of this essay recognise that at the beginning of their careers, they are stepping into a world of high level flux and change. The decisions governing energy and infrastructure development in Australia made over the next five to ten years will determine the quality and progress of the next fifty, and the environmental climate of at least the next one hundred.
Australia’s energy future needs real investment in tomorrow’s technologies rather than yesterday’s solutions. Research, development, education and skills training of new technology should become this country’s greatest export asset in tomorrow’s economy; a future funded with the resource boom we’re experiencing today.
BIO:
Darren Pace is a chemical engineer with a passion for energy and environment. While finishing undergraduate studies a RMIT, Darren completed the scholarship based Future Sustainability Leaders green leadership course in partnership with the City of Melbourne. Achievements in the course include developing an Alumni network to support graduates of the program.
Darren served as Young Engineers Australia’s inaugural Environment Officer in 2007, succeeding in a campaign to track and offset carbon emissions with the organizations Victorian Division. The program is now in development to export to New South Wales Divisions, and parent organization, Engineers Australia.
Currently employed with Shell Australia, Darren sees a bright career for himself in the energy and carbon management sectors.