Andrew Blaver
Head of Distribution Energy Transition
Western Power
Western Australia
Andrew has over 25 years of experience in the construction, communications and electricity industries in Australia, Southeast Asia and North America, including at an Executive level.
He has been at the forefront of the customer and technology driven change in the energy sector and in 2019, he was awarded Energy Professional of the Year for outstanding leadership, enthusiasm and innovation in the WA energy sector.
Most recently, as Head of Distribution Energy Transition at Western Power, Andrew has continued to work across the energy sector with a primary focus on enabling customer-owned energy resources within the distribution network to participate in new markets and services. This includes establishing the new capability and change management required for Western Power to become a functioning Distribution System Operator.
Speaker agenda
Panel: DER to CER and a consumer-led transformation of the electricity system to 2030
How to deliver benefits for all consumers, drive lower emissions and support a reliable and secure energy system? As residential and C&I solar installation increase on the SWIS, and a number of wind farms are constructed, the balancing act between generation and storage will continue to be a challenge. Large utility storage facilities being built will not be enough to manage the intermittency of clean energy generation, and the variability of demand. Increases in residential storage and EV mobile storage, and the orchestration of other BTM energy equipment could play a key role in absorbing load or acting as a net generator, as well as providing valuable network support and essential services. Establishing the regulatory framework, ensuring technology delivers required outcomes and enabling consumers to be part of the journey and are no worse off will be the ultimate goal.
