How will Sydney power itself into the future?

As part of National Science Week and the Sydney Science Festival, the Geological Society of Australia will present a public forum asking Sydney if it is ready to tackle alternative energy.

‘Powering Sydney into the Future: the Science of Alternative Energy’ will be held on 17 August at Wesley Conference Centre, Sydney. The Q&A-style forum will showcase leading scientists and engineers discussing the latest cutting-edge science on alternative energy possibilities and their implications for a sustainable Sydney, including ‘clean’ coal, small thorium reactors, algal farms for biofuels, solar and more.

Joining the panel is Scientia Professor Deo Prasad, CEO of the CRC for Low Carbon Living and director of the UNSW Centre for a Sustainable Built Environment. Professor Prasad said that although a lot has started to happen for the renewable energy future, there is still a long way to go in terms of getting a much cleaner energy balance to tackle climate change.

“There is no magic bullet solution for a sustainable medium-term energy future,” he said. “Instead we must continue to look at a range of approaches, informed by the latest in research and development.

“For example, photovoltaic electricity is now at pricing parity with the usual grid supply. So the next step is to make sure that we have the right policy in place to drive higher uptake. It is a balance between economic impacts, technological change and consumer commitment.”

The forum, which will be moderated by science journalist Robyn Williams, will see Professor Prasad joined by the following panellists:

• Professor Mary O’Kane, NSW Chief Scientist & Engineer
• Professor Ben Hankamer, The University of Queensland, founding director of the Solar Biofuels Consortium
• Dr Gary Ellem, Tom Farrell Institute, University of Newcastle
• Tony Irwin, technical director, SMR Nuclear Technology

Members of the public are invited to suggest questions to be submitted to the panel on the night. If your question is accepted, you will be notified and given the opportunity to ask your question in person on the night.

To submit your question, email it to gsapublicforum@applebysolutions.com along with your full name, contact mobile phone and email address. To buy a ticket to the forum, click here.

Image caption: Professor Deo Prasad.