Program

Kickstart your day at the WA Clean Energy Summit. Arrive early, grab a coffee, network with your industry leaders and hear the latest innovations before the sessions begin.

Visit the registration desk to collect your name badge before heading to your first session of the day.

Join us to officially open the Summit. This will include a Welcome to Country and messages from the CEC. We look forward to welcoming you to the event.

Join the Hon. Amber-Jade Sanderson MLA, WA Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation; Manufacturing; Skills and TAFE; Pilbara, for the opening keynote address. The Minister will reflect on WA's clean energy transition and opportunities for the future.

This opening plenary panel features leaders from Energy Policy WA, AEMO, Atmos Renewables, Horizon Power and Western Power. The panelists will explore the current state of clean energy in WA, outlook for the future, domestic and international market opportunities and policy changes shaping 2026 and beyond.

Take a break and catch up with your peers over some morning tea.

‘Financing the Transition’ will explore how capital is being mobilised to support WA's rapid energy transformation. As coal exits the WEM and decarbonisation accelerates in the Pilbara, the session will examine the investment structures, risk allocation and policy settings needed to unlock investment at scale. Bringing together perspectives from institutional, export and project finance, superannuation investors and global infrastructure advisors, discussion will focus on merchant risk, contracting models, transmission build-out, and the integration of renewables, storage and firming capacity. The session will consider what is needed to unlock private investment, manage transition risk, and deliver a bankable pathway to a low-emissions energy system for WA’s main grid and its remote industrial heartland.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This session is under Chatham House rules. Please be advised there is to be no photography (including of slides) in this session or quoting of statements or comments. We appreciate your assistance with this.

Regional WA is at the forefront of the clean energy transition, with renewable projects reshaping local economies, infrastructure and communities. This session explores how emerging energy solutions are reshaping WA’s power system, from the challenges and opportunities of offshore wind to delivering equitable access for remote communities. Speakers will examine the growing role of microgrids in building resilience, reliability and local energy independence, supported by real-world project experience. The session will also highlight how innovative technologies and new delivery models are helping power WA’s energy transition beyond the traditional grid.

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This session explores the social foundations of successful clean energy projects in WA. Speakers will examine leading practice in First Nations engagement, the role of regional leaders in supporting local energy transitions, and the social responsibilities that must be addressed before projects connect to the grid. Through practical insights and real-world examples, the session highlights why collaboration, trust and community partnership are essential to delivering energy projects that are equitable, resilient and built for long-term success.

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Grab a bite to eat in the exhibition area.

As WA's main electricity system changes and evolves, the need for fundamental re-design of the market settings underpinning the SWIS is becoming increasingly critical. This session will examine the policy, pricing and system signals needed to integrate new renewable generation and meet growing industrial demand. Speakers will explore the challenges of reforming regulatory frameworks from a government perspective integrating large loads and connecting onshore wind into the SWIS, as well as the potential new role of carbon pricing in the energy transition. This session will highlight how market design choices made today will shape the investment, reliability and decarbonisation outcomes for WA’s energy future.

The Pilbara faces a complex challenge: transitioning existing and prospective industries to clean energy sources. This session examines what it will take to deliver large-scale clean energy projects in the Pilbara. Speakers will explore contestable transmission models and risk, renewable project development at scale, and the engineering pathways needed to secure approvals and positive outcomes. The discussion will also highlight the importance of partnering with communities to build trust and enable long-term project success.

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As WA’s power system transitions towards a higher penetration of renewable generation – both large-scale and small-scale – the balance between supply and demand is being reshaped in real time. Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) are emerging as critical enabling technology for grid stability, supporting the development of new market services, and redefining how energy is dispatched over time to create value for all SWIS market participants. This session explores how the evolving technical capabilities of BESS, in conjunction with amendments to the regulatory and market frameworks, are transforming WA’s energy landscape. It will provide specific insights on grid-forming technology, potential future BESS duration requirements, and the next generation of storage-enabled markets and energy services.

Take a break and catch up with your peers over some afternoon tea.

The challenges facing WA’s energy future are being shaped by new sources of demand and evolving regulatory settings. This session explores the vision for what comes next, bringing together diverse perspectives on renewable energy zones, data centre energy solutions, and planning and environmental reform. Speakers will examine these issues and discuss how WA’s energy system will be ready to meet the opportunities well into the future.

The extractive minerals and manufacturing sectors in WA are poised to play a pivotal role in the global energy transition. As companies’ positions on decarbonisation become central to their competitive advantage, the development of innovative techniques to manufacture green steel, iron, and other low-carbon minerals is creating new opportunities for local production and value-added exports. This session explores the future decarbonisation of energy and resource intensive heavy industry, highlights potential decarbonisation strategies in the mining sector, the emergence of green metals projects, and the role WA exports can play in helping decarbonise the Asia Pacific region. Industry leaders will use this session to share their insights on the technology, policy, and market trends that are shaping WA’s sustainable industrial future.

As rooftop solar, batteries and smart technologies continue to grow across WA, virtual power plants (VPPs) are emerging as a critical part of the energy transition. This session explores how VPPs are enabling greater integration of distributed energy resources across the SWIS and balancing supply and demand through intelligent coordination. Speakers will share insights from network and retailer initiatives, technology-led innovation and consumer research, examining how VPPs can unlock system value, support reliability and empower customers to participate in shaping WA’s energy future one connection at a time.

Finish out the day with networking and drinks.