A powerful case for future research

Electricity networks have considered their future research needs and have identified risk and vulnerability, stakeholder engagement, regulation and capturing data for better forecasting and modelling as their highest priorities.

Australian electricity networks – a statement on national research priorities for natural hazards emergency management and resilience was launched today by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, S&C Electric Company and Energy Networks Australia. It forms part of a broader national research agenda in natural hazards emergency management that was developed by the CRC in 2017.

What are the most significant natural hazard emergency management issues Australia faces over the next ten years?

This was the question posed to network service providers from around Australia in a workshop held in August 2018 – the first time the collective knowledge of the electricity networks and research industries has been drawn together in such a manner.

The publication of the research priorities for Australian electricity networks poses questions as a guide for a national research agenda and outlines priorities for knowledge gaps to be filled, explained CEO of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Dr Richard Thornton.

“Our electricity networks are undergoing transformation, and the research priorities represent a consensus view on what new knowledge and capability is required for electricity networks to continue to deliver quality services in the future for the community. With our climate and demographics changing, new vulnerabilities and risks are emerging. Australia’s networks need to respond to these significant challenges. These priorities will help them.”

General Manager Networks at Energy Networks Australia, Dr Jill Cainey, said the partnership between Energy Networks Australia, S&C Electric Company and the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC had been key to creating this important resource.

“Australia’s electricity networks are continually working and innovating to create a more resilient, reliable and affordable network for consumers. As part of this process, Energy Networks Australia has worked with the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC and S&C Electric Company to draw on the collective knowledge of the industry to further inform this work and external stakeholders,” Dr Cainey said.

Four high level priorities for research related to natural hazard resilience for electricity networks were identified:

• Understanding the fundamental vulnerabilities of Australia’s electricity networks and strategies to minimise the risks posed by those vulnerabilities   
• New approaches to stakeholder engagement to support better planning and implementation of resilient networks and distributed generation capability
• New concepts in operation and regulation of electricity networks (including frameworks)
• Harnessing current and new data to enhance forecasting and modelling of electricity networks to better manage the risk and impacts associated with natural hazards.

These research priorities represent the consensus view of industry experts and are based on extensive consultation and discussion. By synthesising this information, it will be easier for researchers, policy makers and practitioners at all levels to plan and prioritise their work, to enable a nationally coordinated research capacity to address the major issues of our day and to support the uptake of that research into practice.

This agenda setting activity is part of a series of projects that the CRC is undertaking to better understand natural hazard risks and resilience for critical infrastructure providers, with research already commissioned by Energy Networks Australia to create a standardised approach for assessing the cost of catastrophic bushfires that involve powerlines.

Download Australian electricity networks – a statement on national research priorities for natural hazards emergency management and resilience here.

These priorities form part of a broad set of national research priorities for natural hazards emergency management, released in July 2017.