The future of energy in Queensland

Our Cairns-based Battery Project Manager Glenn Dahlenburg thinks global and acts local.

We asked him a few burning questions about the future of energy and what it’s like to work on the cutting edge.

How did you get your start in the industry?

I started in a technology innovation engineer role. This?involved the testing and evaluation of new technologies - including solar PV, batteries, electric vehicles (EV) and other emerging technologies - and how to interact with customer-side devices.?

I ran a project that explored the impacts of EVs on the network in 2015, wrote the business case for EV chargers, which led to the Electric Superhighway, and wrote the business case for Ergon Energy’s first standalone power system (SAPS).

You’re now leading the Local Battery Project – how much of an opportunity and a challenge is this?

It is a massive opportunity and a significant challenge.

Across Queensland, the team delivered five network-connected batteries from project ideation to delivery in just 18 months, which was a massive amount of work.

It involved lots of learnings as the project progressed and the need to make decisions quickly and address challenges in order to meet the requirements.

While this project was a challenge it is really just the start.?The amount of energy storage required by 2030 and 2050 to ensure net zero is massive.

What excites you about the future of energy??

As a world we need to decarbonise and electricity will be fundamental to enabling that.

It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of industry-wide transformation - a transformation that is required to manage climate change.

The challenge is massive, and the opportunities are likewise massive.

There will be new technology and new ways of doing things, while supporting our customers’ energy choices, like electric vehicles, solar PV, batteries, or some future tech that we have not thought about.

You live in regional Queensland – how has that influenced your thinking?

I live in Cairns,?fringed by the Great Barrier Reef and Daintree rainforest.

The risk of climate change to these two ecosystems is serious.

It is fantastic that I can play a role, even if only small, in enabling decarbonisation.

How are you supporting customers, communities, and industry in the energy transition?

The distribution network is where you and I connect to renewable energy and will be key to the adoption of new technologies such as electric vehicles.

Our battery project specifically is designed to store energy generated locally so it can be used locally.

It is important that the value of the decentralisation that is occurring is not lost - keeping the energy locally helps improve the efficiency of the networks.

What would you say to anyone considering a career at Energy Queensland?

For me personally,?it comes down to the work, the balance, and the opportunity.

The work: It is hugely interesting. Changes in the industry and Energy Queensland Limited (EQL) are providing great opportunities to apply new technologies. It is dynamic and changing fast.

The balance: EQL has been very supportive in enabling me to balance my work and life outside work.?

The opportunity:?At EQL I can work in a senior position and play a role in projects and decisions that impact the entire state, while based in a regional centre. ?

Careers – Energy Queensland