Measuring Energy Insecurity workshop

This workshop will bring together key stakeholders working in universities, government, and community sectors to consider better ways to measure whether people are getting what they need from energy. This measure could illuminate who is underserved by current energy systems and governance.

Participants will be asked to consider the household needs that are met by energy, whether these are being adequately covered by current and proposed measures, and what measures would provide better information for research, policymaking, and consumer support.

The workshop will provide opportunities for candid discussion amongst stakeholders working across distinct research and policy contexts, and will focus on identifying opportunities to improve measurement of energy insecurity. Visibility of who is facing energy insecurity under current energy systems is one critical piece of pursuing an energy transition that alleviates rather than entrenches inequities in present day energy systems, and improved measurement will help design policies for energy system reform that address social as well as environmental goals. 

Speakers

Dr Lee White, University of Sydney. Lee is a Horizon Fellow in the School of Social and Political Sciences at USYD. Her research focuses on energy transition regulation and governance for climate change mitigation, including equity aspects of the energy system that must be addressed to achieve sustainability.

A/Prof Kate Owens, University of Sydney. Kate is an Associate Professor in Environmental Law at the USYD Law School and Director of the Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law. A key focus of her research is how governance frameworks can link effective public institutions, such as independent agencies, with innovative private sector actors and enable these entities to work collaboratively to accomplish environmental objectives.

Anna Cain, Australian National University. Anna is a PhD candidate at the ANU’s School of Engineering. Her research focuses on the role of energy in supporting and improving quality of life, and she is interested in framing of energy access targets and policies and how this framing translates to intended wellbeing outcomes.

Dr Tom Longden, Western Sydney University. Tom is a Senior Research Fellow at the Urban Transformations Research Centre at WSU. His research examines issues related to environmental economics, climate change, and energy change, with an interest in the health impacts of energy policies.

Agenda

• 10.00: Dr Lee White: Introduction to workshop and issues of energy justice, energy insecurity, and disconnection
• 10.20: A/Prof Kate Owens: Governance frameworks and accomplishing objectives
• 10.30: Group discussion of what people need to use energy for, and how energy systems can provide or limit this
• 10.50: Anna Cain: capabilities and care frameworks for understanding what people need from energy
• 11.00: Group discussion of alternative ways to meet energy needs
• 11.20: Dr Tom Longden: energy and health
• 11.30: Group discussion of what it would be important to understand in a measure for whether people get what they need from energy (for your research/organisation purposes, and/or as a user of energy)
• 11.50: Lunch break
• 12.30: Dr Lee White: summary of measures collected from literature that could capture needs from energy in a survey
• 12.40: Group discussion of gaps in these existing measures, and areas where value to research and governance could be improved
• 1.00pm: workshop close

Header image by elaine alex on Unsplash.