Episodes

Eric Davids, Head of Strategy for Octopus Energy US, explains how the company is transforming customer engagement across both regulated and deregulated US energy markets. Drawing on his background as a US Marine intelligence officer and former Chief of Staff at Uplight, Davids outlines Octopus's philosophy of treating customers as active participants in the energy transition rather than passive price takers. The episode explores behavioural nudges and plunge pricing for EV charging, the Intellig...

Malaya Toll and Andrew Steer, both with 25+ years leading digital transformation and utility systems across Australia and internationally, join Greg and Neil to discuss the national electricity market reform roadmap and delivery challenges. They examine whether NEM reform is on track for 2026 milestones, revealing NEM is slightly behind schedule despite momentum shifts across the industry. Key topics include the surprising success of community batteries in expanding energy access, supply failing...

Paul Geason, CEO of Wave Swell Energy, brings 25+ years of senior utility and infrastructure leadership to commercialise world-leading wave energy technology. Wave Swell's oscillating water column design replicates natural blowholes with no moving parts in water—a critical advantage after decades of competitor failures. The King Island demonstration achieved 50% energy conversion efficiency (the highest published in industry) and proved two-plus years of durability in harsh ocean conditions. Pau...

Daniel Batten, climate tech investor, ESG analyst, and co-founder of CH4 Capital, challenges the widespread perception that Bitcoin mining is an environmental villain. Instead, he makes the case that Bitcoin mining can become the essential shock absorber for grids managing simultaneous unpredictability: surging renewable energy supply and spiking AI data centre demand. With 80% of operational costs tied to electricity, Bitcoin miners are uniquely incentivised to monetise stranded renewable energ...

Professor Yolande Strengers, Research Director at Monash Energy Institute and expert in digital sociology, challenges everything we think we know about smart homes and the energy transition. From debunking the myth of the perfectly rational "Resource Man" consumer to exploring privacy concerns around EV charging automation, Yolande reveals why people—not just technology—must drive Australia's energy future. She discusses the gendered dynamics of smart home adoption, the coming wave of home helpe...

Dr. Greg Trainor and Neil Belford speak with Luke Menzel, CEO of the Energy Efficiency Council and newly appointed non-executive director on AEMO's board. Luke explains why hitting Australia's 63-70% emissions reduction target by 2035 depends entirely on deploying existing demand-side technologies—you can only decarbonise electricity once. The conversation covers why electrifying the Australian economy solves energy security concerns, how thermal retrofits function as grid infrastructure, and wh...

Dr. Greg Trainor and Neil Belford speak with Warner Priest, Senior Executive at Intercontinental Energy, about engineering the world's largest green hydrogen projects. Warner explains the technical logic behind the 110-gigawatt Western Green Energy Hub and Australian Renewable Energy Hub—projects that could transform global shipping, steel production, and Australia's industrial base. He reveals why hydrogen pipelines are superior to long-distance transmission at scale, how seawater desalination ...

Dr. Greg Trainor and Neil Belford speak with Tony Arnel, Professor and former Deputy Chair of Forest and Wood Products Australia, and past President of the Energy Efficiency Council. Tony explains how demand-side management evolved from "not sexy at all" to mainstream conversation over 17 years, shaped by the Council's advocacy for stronger building standards, appliance ratings, and electrification pathways. He reveals the elephant in the room: millions of existing buildings built before perform...

Dr. Greg Trainor speaks with Dani Alexander, CEO of UNSW Energy Institute, about Australia's energy research landscape and the alarming decline in R&D investment. Despite UNSW's proud legacy—including inventing the modern solar cell and vanadium redox flow battery—public energy R&D has halved over the past decade while deployment spending tripled. Dani reveals why Australia now invests just 0.03% of GDP in energy innovation compared to 0.06% a decade ago, and warns this threatens our ability to ...

Dr. Greg Trainor, Neil Belford, and Ben Meek reflect on the inaugural season of Wired for Energy and preview what's coming in 2026. Since launching in May 2025, the podcast has covered remarkable ground—from Jack Kotlyer at Energy Australia discussing commercial EV charging to Tim Washington at Jet Charge rolling out networks across Australia. Each guest brought unique perspectives on the energy transition, from artificial intelligence with Dave King to grid stability innovations with Mark Vincent at South Australian Power Networks, and spatial analytics breakthroughs with Nigel Barry at Intelfuse. Looking ahead to 2026, the team introduces seven new themes: - Proof of Life (what's actually working), Digital Frontier (operations and workforce transformation), - The Outsiders (innovation from adjacent industries), - Social License (customer and community relationships), - Government and Regulation (policy frameworks under pressure), - The Horizon (academia and future vi…

Join Dr. Greg Trainor and Neil Belford for a special panel discussion with Megan Fisher, CEO of Energy Lab, alongside two breakthrough startups from their portfolio: Dr Thomas Nann, CEO and Co-founder of Allegro Energy, and Nick Hazell, CEO and Founder of Algenie. Energy Lab has spent nearly 10 years building Australia's premier climate tech accelerator, supporting 280 startup alumni through 10 different programs—from launching ventures to scaling internationally. With 450 mentors, 240 angel ...

Dr. Greg Trainor and Neil Belford speak with Alan Hunter, CEO and Founder of NRN (National Renewable Network), and Jess Padman, Director of Energy Products, about their innovative approach to making renewable energy accessible to everyone—without the upfront costs, maintenance headaches, or complexity. This episode explores how NRN has reimagined solar and battery adoption by removing the financial barrier. Instead of customers buying their own systems, NRN installs, owns, and maintains the ass...

Dr Greg Trainor speaks with Nigel Barry, Founder and CEO of Intelfuse, about the dramatic transformation of vegetation management from gut instinct to precision data science. With over 30 years in the industry, Nigel shares how his experience witnessing the devastating Ash Wednesday fires shaped his career mission to protect communities and infrastructure. This episode explores how LiDAR technology, digital twins, and AI are revolutionising how utilities manage the single largest cause of powe...

Dr Greg Trainor and Neil Belford sit down with Charles Cattermole, Principal at Outpost Ventures, for a look into the human side of Australia's energy transition. From his accidental entry into energy through the Australian Navy to roles at Green Sync and Energy Australia, Charles shares hard-won insights about scaling innovation within large utilities and the critical importance of people over technology in driving change. The conversation explores the challenges of virtual power plants, the c...

On this week's episode, we have Ryan Wavish, GM of Innovation at Engie Australia, to explore how one of the world's largest energy companies is navigating Australia's unique energy transition challenges. From his early days at boutique consultancy Marshman Hill working with ARENA's A-Lab initiative to leading Engie's ambitious 500MW virtual power plant vision by 2030, Ryan shares insights into building customer trust, managing distributed energy resources, and creating the "business model of the...

Join Dr Greg Trainor as he sits down with Network Edge founders Ben Meek and Neil Belford to announce the launch of the Wired for Energy Open Source Community Platform. This special episode explores how Network Edge is applying lessons learned from building energy transition businesses in the US market to create collaborative digital solutions for Australia's energy transformation. The conversation covers the development of Network Edge's U30 framework - a comprehensive strategy for utility dig...

Join hosts Dr Greg Trainor and Neil Belford as they sit down with Luc van Duinen, VPP Lead at Dame Technologies, for a comprehensive exploration of virtual power plants from a global perspective. From his early days at Engie in the Netherlands working with potato farmers and their "Ferrari" batteries to building VPP platforms across multiple Australian energy companies, Luc shares valuable insights into the evolution of distributed energy management. The conversation covers the stark difference...

Join hosts Dr. Greg Trainor and Neil Belford as they chat with Andy McCarthy, founder and former CEO of Gippsland Solar, for an inspiring conversation about building Australia's renewable energy future from the heart of coal country. Andy shares his remarkable journey from a troubled teen with ADHD to becoming a solar industry pioneer, establishing his company in the Latrobe Valley surrounded by coal-fired power stations and eventually selling to RACV Solar. (02:00) Early life struggles and dis...

Dr. Greg Trainor and Neil Belford sit down with Kevin Hart, CEO of the New Zealand Wind Energy Association, to explore the evolving landscape of wind power in Aotearoa. Kevin shares his remarkable journey from international judo competitor to renewable energy leader, before diving into the challenges and opportunities facing the sector—from global supply chain constraints and complex regulation to the huge potential of offshore wind. The conversation unpacks the critical role of firming, energy ...

In this episode of the Wired for Energy podcast, hosts Dr. Greg Trainor and Neil Belford sit down with Bruce Thompson, Managing Director of Thompillai. They chat about how renewable energy is being rolled out across Australia, the tricky bits of our energy systems, and Bruce’s early work with community energy projects. From the ups and downs of renewables to the future of smart grids, Bruce shares stories from his long career and gives us a look at where energy policy might be headed. (01:47) B...

In this episode, hosts Dr. Greg Trainor and Neil Belford sit down with Tim Washington, CEO and founder of Jet Charge, to chat about how the company started and its key role in driving the energy transition. Tim talks about how Jet Charge came to life, co-founded with his wife Ellen, all thanks to a passion for tech, cars, and making a positive impact. They explore what the rise of electric vehicles (EVs) means for Australia’s energy grid and why consumers play such a big part in this shift. The ...

In this episode of Wired For Energy, Greg Trainor and Neil Belford sit down with Mark Vincent, Chief Operating Officer at South Australian Power Networks. From facing down potential statewide blackouts to pioneering world-first programs like Flexible Exports, Mark takes us inside the bold thinking, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and technical innovation that's reshaping South Australia's energy landscape. Hear how SA Power Networks tackled voltage challenges, built a virtual power plant from s...

In this episode, Greg and Neil chat with Dave King, founder of Move 37, about how AI is shaking things up across industries — especially in energy. They talk about how AI can help consumers use energy more efficiently, improve customer experiences, and streamline how businesses operate. Dave shares the story behind Move 37 and how a legendary Go match between AlphaGo and Lee Sedol sparked the idea. They also get into the big challenges around adopting AI, like messy data and the changing nature ...

In this episode, Greg and Neil chat with Bill Tarlinton, managing director of Zepben, about his journey through the world of electricity distribution, smart software, and energy startups. Bill shares how his early interest in electrical systems led to a career working on SCADA and DMS tech — and how those tools have shaped utilities here in Australia and around the world. They talk through the challenges the energy sector is facing right now, the need for fresh thinking, and how startups are ste...