Issue 1 | March 2012

Leader's column

Dr Beverly Ronalds, CSIRO Energy Group Executive.

Welcome to the first edition of Spark! the newsletter from the Energy team in CSIRO.

Spark! is an electronic newsletter to be published three times a year that aims to inform readers about the research CSIRO is doing in responding to the energy challenges that Australia faces now and into the future.

Powering the future is arguably the greatest environmental, economic and social challenge we have to resolve in the early decades of the 21st century.

Australia has one of the world's largest per capita carbon footprints, with nearly 70 per cent due to energy emissions. There is also heightened community concern about sustainable resource extraction. This is against a background of Australia being a large energy exporter, which contributes significantly to Australia's long-term economic prosperity and energy security.

CSIRO is tackling these challenges head on, with our energy research portfolio directed at the delivery of secure and affordable low-emissions energy.

Our key focus is to help accelerate large-scale emissions cuts while ensuring a smooth transition to a new energy future. To achieve this, we are working with industry, governments, the community and our research partners to demonstrate at scale new lower emissions energy technologies tailored to special Australian challenges and advantages.

Together with our partners, CSIRO is currently involved in pilot and demonstration-scale activities both here and overseas including carbon capture and storage, concentrated solar thermal energy, photo-voltaics, geothermal, smart grids, energy storage, biofuels and enhanced coal bed methane.

CSIRO's portfolio also includes significant environmental and social research to help create a confident and effective planning environment for project development, and to reduce the operational risks associated with energy extraction. Our integrated research program is guided by our carbon futures scenario modelling which helps visualise pathways towards a low emissions future. We also gather advice from a broad range of stakeholders to inform our ongoing research portfolio development. Finally, our work with community groups encourages individuals to be informed and empowered about technology choices.

Although this is the first newsletter from us, it is also a farewell from me. After nine years at CSIRO including five as the leader of the energy team, I am retiring and handing over to Tom Hatton.

Tom has worked in CSIRO for the past 23 years and previously served as Director of CSIRO's Water for a Healthy Country Flagship before joining CSIRO's energy team as Director of the Wealth from Oceans Flagship in 2010. Like me, Tom will be based in Perth and as part of his role will continue to work with our partners on a shared long-term vision and strategy for science in Western Australia. The initial efforts for this strategy are focussed on resources, including establishing a Perth resource sciences precinct, and strengthening the connections between resources science and environmental, water and biodiversity research. Tom's experience in both environment and energy matters is therefore very well matched to the challenges of these initiatives and the energy arena overall.

I hope you enjoy the read and welcome your feedback or questions regarding our research.

Bev Ronalds