AGEA Committees
AGEA facilitates the functional operation and direction of 6 committees as detailed below:
Direct Use Committee
Chairperson
Jenny Archibald - Geothermal Power
Objective
To provide AGEA members with informed and up to-date information on the opportunities and technologies for Direct Use geothermal energy and to develop policies and positions on behalf of AGEA for contributing to Federal and State government policy development and decision making, for the benefit of AGEA members and the Australian community as a whole.
As part of its education objective, the committee will maintain a detailed position paper on Direct Use (which encompasses geothermal heat pumps as well as non electricity-generating uses of geothermal waters such as heating, drying and desalination) and also a briefer version which will be provided to interested parties as a summary of AGEA's position on Direct Use.
Policy Committee
Chairperson
Alan Knights - Green Rock Energy Ltd
Objective
Coordinates the development of the Australian geothermal industry’s policy positions and to market those positions to the relevant government and industry bodies.
Economics Committee
Chairperson
Jonathan Teubner - Petratherm Ltd
Objective
To define a framework by which members should abide when making economic statements to the market, ensuring a consistency of analysis for investors, government and other stakeholders across all potential projects.
The Committee will also liaise with other geothermal associations on the issue of economic analysis to ensure members are aware of international developments and the consistent framework reflects international best practice.
Communications Committee
Chairperson
Jane Lowe - Geodynamics Ltd
National Electricity Market Committee
Chairperson
Terry Kallis - Petratherm Ltd
Objective
Provides AGEA’s Policy input into the review of the NEM and the necessary NEM Policy and Rule changes to accommodate a new Emissions Trading Scheme and achieve the 20% Renewable Energy Target by 2020.
The NEM Policy Committee will assess and advocate on, the role that the geothermal energy sector can play in meeting Australia’s desired energy mix and how this can be achieved in a least cost way and also to quantify the resultant net benefits to the Australian economy.
The recent MMA Report completed for AGEA will provide a starting point for the work of the NEM Policy Committee. The Committee will aim to work closely, and contribute to, a number of government policy initiatives – and have a particular focus on the Ministerial Council of Energy’s review of the NEM being undertaken by the Australian Energy Market Commission that commenced in June 2008.”
Legislation/Regulation Committee
Chairperson
Adrian Larking - Green Rock Energy Ltd
Assists in the development of strategy, submissions and advocacy to bring about optimal changes to current policies and laws in relation to geothermal energy throughout Australia. The Committee aims to ensure that the laws in relation to geothermal energy in Australia are workable and facilitate the exploration, development and production of geothermal energy in each jurisdiction. Legislation to be considered will extend not only to geothermal energy legislation but also related Commonwelath and State statutes such as:
Environmental laws, including the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act
Natural resource management legislation, particularly as regards water management
Native vegetation protection legislation
Planning and development laws
Native title and Aboriginal heritage protection legislation
The regulation of the National Electricity Market and, as regards Western Australia and, prospectively Northern Territory, the regulation of their respective separate electricity markets including connection agreements and procedures.