Sustainable Infrastructure: Financing a Path for the Future

Panel: Anna Sawyer, Director, Deloitte; Ben Milsom, Chief Commercial Officer, Plenti; Douglas Chapman, Head of Non-Lending, Brighte & Jon Sibley, Director, enX

• Plenti noted that electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers are able to sell directly to consumers, bypassing dealership models.

• Strong take up and demand for solar and batteries is driven by desire to save on energy bills. We need to leverage this desire by integrating EVs into this, by helping consumer monetise their EVs by connecting it to the grid. There needs to be more public recognition in the role EVs can play in stabilising the grid, and ensuring people are financially rewarded fairly.

• Markets and regulatory framework need to enable for interoperability, to reduce consumer uncertainty.

• Ironing out the complexity in infrastructure obstacles across the EV ecosystem will require imaginative and innovative thinking. We cannot predict all the potential issues before they arise. For instance, Brighte noted that electric cooktops are often a different size to gas cooktops, making the transition practically quite difficult for many households. Governments, state and federal, and the CEFC, has a key role to play here, to solve issues the market cannot.

• Brighte noted that 20 years ago, we couldn’t have imagined 40% of households today having solar panels. It was complex back then, but we did the work.