The Queensland Energy Management Plan (QEMP) provides a framework for Queensland electricity regulators and the state’s energy industry to help manage growth in electricity demand, via the implementation of a range of energy efficiency and demand management initiatives.

To ascertain how the QEMP will affect Queensland’s clean energy stakeholders, key figures from two sides of the spectrum explain the plan below, both from a regulatory perspective and from a business perspective.

Office of Clean Energy Executive Director Benn Barr discusses the role his agency will play in rolling out new initiatives for improved management of electricity growth, while Ergon Energy Group Manager of Energy Transition Greg Nielsen explains how distribution network businesses will engage consumers, distributors and the clean energy community via the QEMP.

Benn Barr, Executive Director, Queensland Office of Clean Energy

The OCE in the Queensland Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation (DEEDI) has a critical role to play as one of the key partners in the Queensland Energy Management Plan (QEMP).

Complementing the Queensland Renewable Energy Plan

The QEMP promotes renewable energy generation as outlined in the Queensland Renewable Energy Plan (QREP) through making explicit the important role that embedded generation can play in managing electricity growth.

The QEMP includes a Clean Energy Communities program, a critical initiative to identify the renewable energy generation opportunities that will not only reduce electricity bills in the short term, but also provide longer-term benefits to the network and the commercial and industrial sector.

The QREP continues to be implemented in Queensland to accelerate the growth of the state’s renewable energy sector, and now works in conjunction with the QEMP.

At 30 June 2011, Queensland’s total renewable energy generation capacity was approximately 1,080 megawatts representing an increase of 45 per cent on 2008 levels.

A two year-review of the QREP is to be completed by late 2011, including an update on progress towards achieving the plan’s goals (incorporating the generation capacity and industry investment in renewable energy).

Serving the state

The clean energy industry’s role in delivering QEMP will be critical, as the investigation and application of new technology that provides firmer load control without reducing consumers’ amenity is critical to the plan’s success.

Nationally, Queensland is leading the way in peak demand reduction programs. The Australian Alliance to Save Energy Survey published in June 2011 reported that Queensland’s estimated peak demand reduction for 2010–11 is the largest contribution to peak demand reduction of any state, delivering a massive 90.4 per cent of the total demand reductions achieved in Australia.

The OCE will investigate a program under the QEMP that would require new large energy users to develop an Energy Management Plan before they connect to the electricity networks. The primary objectives of the program would be to minimise costs of energy network expansion and augmentation, smooth daily and seasonal energy load peaks, and improve energy conservation and efficiency.

Managing energy information

The success of the QEMP will require a co-ordinated approach and partnership; to this end, the Queensland Government, Ergon Energy and ENERGEX are establishing an Australian-first virtual Queensland Energy Management Centre.

The OCE has responsibility for one part of the Centre – the Energy Management Policy and Regulatory Team, led by Director Scott Agnew – which focuses on delivering the regulatory reform agenda and working closely with distributors, government agencies and industry to continue developing energy management policy.

Greg Nielsen, Group Manager Energy Transition, Ergon Energy

Ergon Energy looks forward to participating in the Queensland Energy Management Plan (QEMP) as a pathway to intensifying and aligning focus on energy management in Queensland, and demonstrating the benefits of collaboration between government, energy utilities, industry and community to deliver more efficient electricity network utilisation and ‘value for money’ network services into the future.

Meeting QEMP goals

By focusing on specific initiatives in the near term and setting up a central discussion forum, the QEMP provides the catalyst to bring parties together to trial, implement and evolve alternatives to existing energy management options and contribute to energy policy development in Queensland. The two distribution network businesses, Ergon Energy and ENERGEX, will be proactively working with the Queensland Government, customers and other stakeholders to deliver better energy management options focused on reducing energy demand at peak times on the existing network, while seeking alternatives to traditional network solutions when growth necessitates network upgrades.

We are currently in the ‘discovery phase’ of work for the Queensland Energy Management Centre (described previously). Its objective is to develop information sets that help electricity customers to understand and manage their energy use better, and make the most of new and emerging technology.

Involving the clean energy industry

There is a lot of clean energy knowledge held by energy distributors, generators and retailers that can be harnessed to deliver more efficient and timely energy infrastructure to support development in Queensland. Working with major industry and government organisations on this agenda can accelerate discussion on appropriate building standards, urban planning design, and sustainable and energy efficient infrastructure development.

The electricity industry will work with major energy users and contributors to test, develop and deliver projects, products and standards that are renewable, sustainable and efficient electricity programs for end users. Network businesses are part of the reference group set up to support delivery of the QEMP; this is a big agenda which requires extensive collaboration and strong demonstration of alternatives to assist in critical policy decision making.