When I started out, the energy system was relatively straightforward. Large generators produced power, transmission moved it, distribution delivered it, and most people didn’t really think about what sat behind the light switch.
That’s completely changed. Old coal is closing, renewables are connecting quickly, storage is becoming part of the system, and consumers are now active participants through rooftop solar, batteries and electric vehicles. At the same time, demand is growing from things like data centres and electrification.
So the grid is doing a lot more than it used to, and it’s doing it in a much more visible environment.
Energy has also moved into the centre of the national conversation. It’s about power bills, reliability, climate targets, regional impacts and economic growth. Because of that, it’s become more political, which is understandable. People care about what they pay, what gets built near them and whether the system will work when they need it.
For me, the biggest change is that energy used to sit quietly in the background. Now it’s front and centre. Our job isn’t just to build the system anymore, it’s to explain it clearly and deliver value for consumers like never before.
Many of our discussions focus on the point where the transition meets delivery.
The first is execution. We largely agree on what needs to be built. The challenge is delivering it at the pace and scale required. That means dealing with approvals, supply chains, workforce constraints, outages, cost pressures and construction risk, all while keeping the system running safely. The transition has moved beyond planning. It’s now a delivery task.
The second is social licence. We’re building long-life infrastructure through real communities and on real land.
The question isn’t just whether we can build it, but whether we can do it in a way communities understand, trust and see value in.
That takes time, honesty and proper engagement.
The third is demand growth, particularly from electrification and data centres. It’s a positive sign for the economy, but it creates real questions about timing, cost and fairness. New loads need to connect quickly, but we also have to protect consumers and make sure costs are shared appropriately.
What ties all of this together is execution. These risks aren’t abstract anymore. They’re practical, immediate and very visible.
I think we still underestimate the cost of delays.
Delay can sound like a consequence of large projects, like we’re just taking a bit more time. But in this transition, delay has real consequences, and consumers ultimately bear the cost.
When transmission is late, consumers wait longer for access to cheaper renewable energy. When storage or system strength is delayed, the system becomes harder and more expensive to operate. And if delays drag on, we end up relying longer on ageing assets or more expensive alternatives.
So it’s not just about the cost of building infrastructure. It’s also about the cost of not building it on time.
That doesn’t mean rushing projects or cutting corners. Communities matter and delivery needs to be done properly. But we also need to be honest that delays push benefits further out, including lower wholesale costs, stronger reliability and more competition.
That’s the part we need to explain more clearly. Consumers already pay for all parts of the bill stack. They also pay when it takes longer than it should.
Good leadership in energy over the next decade will be about holding a few things together at the same time.
We have to deliver a system that is clean, reliable and affordable. Not one or two of those, but all three.
That means being practical about how the transition happens. No single company, government or technology can deliver it on its own. Progress depends on industry, governments, regulators, communities and consumers broadly moving in the same direction.
For leaders, that means being clear about trade-offs, honest about what’s difficult, and focused on outcomes that matter to consumers.
In the end, success won’t be judged on strategies or plans. It will come down to whether we delivered the infrastructure, kept the system secure, managed costs and brought people with us along the way.