When energy emergencies strike, the impacts extend beyond inconvenience to disrupting critical infrastructure, essential services and the broader economy.
In Victoria, coordinated responses to major electricity, gas and fuel disruptions are led by the state’s Class Two Controllers, playing an important role as extreme weather events place growing pressure on energy systems.
Class Two Controllers are responsible for directing and managing large-scale energy emergencies, overseeing consequence management, coordinating agencies and providing advice to government. Class Two Controllers require rapid decision-making under pressure, balancing safety, economic stability and community confidence while responding to evolving conditions.
According to the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA), the consequences of outages can escalate quickly. For example, hospitals rely on backup generation, telecommunications and transport networks can falter, and businesses may be forced to close. Within the first 48 hours, statewide economic impacts can reach hundreds of millions of dollars.
Essential leadership
Four women currently serving as Class Two Controllers are playing their part in Victoria’s emergency response capability, highlighting both the complexity of the role and the growing presence of women in operational energy leadership.
Katie Brown, Executive Director of Electrification, Efficiency and Safety at DEECA, joined the Victorian Government in 2019 and was endorsed as a Class Two Controllers in November 2023. She emphasises a measured and community-focused approach to crisis management.
“Energy is an essential service. Our lives are shaped by the high-quality service that our energy providers give, so when it’s not available, our community needs support,” Brown said.
“The safety of our community and responders is my first priority. But beyond safety, energy outages have cascading impacts. Customers at risk need additional protections. Businesses rely on supply continuity. The broader economy depends on reliable electricity, gas and fuel supplies. I keep all of this in mind when responding to an energy emergency.”
Kim Le Cerf, Director of Energy Programs at DEECA, joined the Victorian Government in 2022 and became a Class Two Controllers in 2025. She highlights the extensive coordination required behind the scenes.
“There is so much coordination and problem-solving behind the scenes before, during and after an energy emergency. It’s never as simple as flipping a switch or sending out a crew. Teams across government, emergency management and energy businesses work around the clock analysing risks, sharing information and planning ahead to keep communities safe,” Le Cerf said.
“This shapes how I lead. It reminds me to stay calm, work closely with emergency management colleagues and energy network partners, and make decisions that genuinely support communities. Serving as Class Two Controllers is both a privilege and a big responsibility. It keeps me focused on supporting Victorians and reinforces why this work matters.”
The scale of these challenges was evident during the February 2024 storm event, which left more than 530,000 customers without power at its peak and resulted in an estimated $770 million economic impact. For Class Two Controllers , such events require not only operational oversight but also management of flow-on effects across interconnected sectors, including telecommunications, water and health services.
Lisa Opray, Director of Organisational Performance at VicGrid, has served as a Class Two Controllers for six years and highlights the rapid escalation of impacts during major outages.
“For a significant electricity outage, this causes widespread disruption and significant risk and economic loss to the community and businesses,” Opray said.
“Collaborating across emergency services, industry and local government to quickly resolve the consequential impacts of energy emergencies on other essential services like telecommunications, water, health, and the grocery sector makes a world of difference to our communities.”
The role extends beyond operational response.
“We’re not only managing the energy emergency response, we’re managing the flow-on implications to other essential services, and the political and stakeholder implications of these events. Energy networks operate nationally and, for liquid fuels, internationally. An energy emergency in Victoria can have implications well beyond state borders,” Opray said.
For Lyn Bowring, DEECA’s Executive Director of Consumer, Community and First Peoples’ Energy Transition, the role is grounded in community outcomes.
“I am very conscious that what’s at stake is far more than infrastructure. It’s people’s safety, health, livelihoods, and confidence that everything possible is being done to support them. Increasingly frequent extreme weather events impact on communities’ resilience,” Bowring said.
“It is always super interesting and a big responsibility to make good decisions with sometimes imperfect information.”
“In Victoria, the government does not own the energy networks. Behind every restoration update is a complex set of decisions, intelligence gathering, safety assessments, prioritisation of critical assets and customers at risk, and multi-agency coordination.”
“The most important thing at all times is that we keep people safe. I am extremely driven to make a meaningful difference. In emergency management, your impact is immediate, tangible, and directly focused on supporting communities experiencing difficult circumstances.”
Across all four leaders, a consistent message emerges around capability and leadership in the sector.
“Back yourself. Step toward the opportunities that stretch you. These roles are challenging, purposeful and incredibly rewarding, especially if you’re motivated by supporting communities and making a real difference,” Le Cerf said.
“Be brave. Every time I put on my uniform, I still get butterflies. It’s a great opportunity to work with incredible people, learn a lot and give back to the Victorian community,” Brown said.
“Back yourself and give it a go. You don’t need to be an expert from day one. You’ll be surprised how transferable your skills are, and how much value you already bring,” Bowring said.
“Trust that you have value to contribute. Your diversity, adaptive problem solving and compassion will strengthen our sector and our emergency response,” Opray said.
