Wired for Good: Conversations for a Better Energy Future

In part two of this special episode, host Sarah Aubrey is joined by Lord Adair Turner, Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission, to continue the conversation on the global energy transition — tackling the hard questions on affordability, equity, electrification and investment.
 
The discussion turns to the cost-of-living challenge and energy affordability, new global electrification targets, the unstoppable EV revolution, equity issues for renters and low-income households, and what governments must do to attract the capital investment needed.
 
Part 2 covers: managing transition costs and the truth about energy bills; global electrification targets and COP 31; the EV revolution and the future of heavy transport; equity challenges for renters and low-income households; attracting capital investment; and global success stories from India, China, Norway, Ethiopia and Pakistan.

In this special two-part episode, host Sarah Aubrey is joined by Lord Adair Turner, Chair of the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC), for a wide-ranging conversation on the global energy transition and Australia’s critical role in it.

The conversation goes global; examining where the world stands against the Paris Agreement targets, which countries are leading and lagging, and the remarkable cost revolution underway in solar and battery technology that is reshaping what is possible. 

Part 1 covers the role of the ETC and how it drives global change; the state of decarbonisation worldwide; Australia’s coal dependency and what must change; the rapid cost decline of solar and batteries; and why Sunbelt countries like Australia are best placed to lead the next phase of the energy transition.

In this episode, host Sarah Aubrey speaks with Kelly Wood, Group Executive for Transmission Development & Growth at Ausgrid and Mark Westbrook, Chief Project Officer at EnergyCo about how upgrading existing sub-transmission corridors in the Hunter Central Coast REZ could unlock faster, cheaper and more community-friendly renewable energy capacity. They explore the opportunities, challenges and long-term planning needed to reshape NSW’s grid; from smarter use of existing easements to coordinated state-wide planning for both transmission and distribution.

The DSP represents an incredible collaboration between Ausgrid, Endeavour Energy and Essential Energy to understand how distribution networks can play a bigger role in meeting NSW’s net zero targets.  
 
Sarah Aubrey is joined by Ausgrid’s Alida Jansen van Vuuren, Endeavour’s Melissa Doueihi and Essential’s Marc Thiebaut to explore how better use of existing poles, wires and sub-transmission infrastructure can unlock billions in value, defer transmission investment, support local storage, and help deliver a more equitable transition for customers across the state. 
  
With insights into community batteries, orchestration of rooftop solar and the future role of networks as system operators, this episode shows why distribution is becoming one of the most important levers in shaping the future grid.

How are Community Power Networks shaping Australia’s energy transition—and what would their growing role mean for our future?
In this episode Steve Lewis Project Director, at Ausgrid and Sam Kernaghan, Director - Resilience Program from Committee for Sydney discuss how technologies like rooftop solar, batteries, and smart networks can make clean, locally generated power more accessible and affordable. They explore the untapped potential of commercial rooftops, the role of community batteries in sharing excess energy, and the benefits for renters, apartment dwellers, and businesses. The conversation highlights how local generation can cut energy bills, strengthen grid stability, accelerate decarbonisation, and deliver collective benefits for communities.