Forum on energy productivity (2XEP)

Start/Stop Date:
03–04 Apr 2014
Organiser:
Australian Alliance to Save Energy
Venue:
Aerial UTS Function Centre, Sydney, Australia
Focus Areas:
Energy productivity, efficiency standards for motor vehicles, energy efficiency, demand management
Type of Event:
Conference

For decades, cheap abundant energy has driven growth in the Australian economy.  But energy prices have escalated rapidly, with electricity prices doubling in the past 7 years, and business anticipating doubling in gas prices over the next 3-4 years.  A combination of high energy prices and low energy productivity means that Australia's competitive advantage in energy costs has rapidly eroded.  Without a major improvement in energy productivity, our economy will suffer and energy dependent businesses will be lost to Australia in increasing numbers.

As energy prices rise and carbon constraints bite, our future prosperity depends on using energy more efficiently.  This Forum confronts this critical challenge:

How do we double our energy productivity (2XEP) by 2030?
Key elements that drive energy productivity improvement overseas are missing in Australia, including:

  • Long term and aggressive energy productivity targets.
  • Efficiency standards for motor vehicles.
  • Prioritisation of energy efficiency and demand management over energy supply infrastructure investment.

Some key questions this Forum will tackle:

  • How does the energy productivity of key sectors of our economy compare with world best practice?
  • How would each sector most cost effectively double its energy productivity by 2030?
  • What economic benefits would a doubling of energy productivity in each sector deliver?
  • What are the key obstacles that need to be overcome?
  • What policy measures are required to support doubling energy productivity?

For further information