In this episode of The GridCast, Liam Dutton welcomes Renene Windsor. With over 20 years of experience in the sector, she is a top-class leader and advisor for the energy industry.

Renene shares her career journey, highlighting her passion for the energy transition and sustainability, as well as her experiences working internationally in the energy industry. She discusses the evolution of the energy sector from coal-fired power stations to renewable energy, emphasising the importance of renewable energy zones and the challenges faced in upgrading Australia’s network. Renene also addresses the talent shortage in the industry, the opportunities for new graduates, and the significance of collaboration among various stakeholders. For insights on future technologies and the need for better community engagement in energy projects, listen in to this episode.

In partnership with ConnectYou.

⚡ What You’ll Learn:

📈 Career Path in the Energy Sector: Listeners will gain insights into Renene Windsor’s career journey, including her transition from engineering roles in Australia and the US to her current position as the Industry Director for Transmission and Distribution at Aurecon. She emphasises the importance of combining technical skills with business acumen and people management.

🔍 Challenges and Opportunities in the Energy Transition: The episode discusses the current challenges facing the energy sector, particularly in relation to the upgrade of Australia’s transmission network and the complexities of integrating renewable energy sources. Renene highlights the opportunities available for professionals in the industry, especially in areas like renewable energy zones and grid stability.

💬 Advice for Aspiring Engineers: Renene shares valuable advice for graduate engineers and those looking to transition into the energy sector, emphasising the importance of gaining diverse experiences across different project phases and the need for continuous learning in a rapidly evolving industry. She also discusses the significance of transferable skills from other sectors, such as rail, in addressing the talent shortage in energy.

⚡ About Renene Windsor:

Renene is an energy industry leader and technical expert bringing to life some of the largest and ‘first’ energy infrastructure projects in Australia.

With key roles on major transmission infrastructure, such as Project Energy Connect, HumeLink and Renewable Energy Zones connecting large scale generation and storage, Renene helps clients deliver critical projects to strengthen Australia’s energy network and accelerate the energy transition.

She is passionate about using innovations and fostering collaboration locally and globally to deliver mega-projects at the pace and scale that’s needed.

⚡ Links and resources:

Renene Windsor’s LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/renene-windsor-9a21b0a

Liam Dutton’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-dutton-1481a9a7/

Power Transmission and Distribution recruitment: https://connectyourecruitment.com/

⚡ Time stamps:

[00:01:05] Energy transition and sustainability.

[00:05:51] Renewable energy project impact.

[00:09:57] Holistic view of energy systems.

[00:12:41] Challenges in upgrading Australia’s network.

[00:16:51] Opportunities in the energy industry.

[00:21:20] Graduates’ opportunities in energy transition.

[00:25:18] Transferable skills across industries.

[00:30:56] Overseas recruitment and skill gaps.

[00:34:03] Attracting talent through projects.

[00:37:00] Early engagement and social licence.

⚡ Keywords

Power, Transmission, Distribution, Renewable Energy, Energy, Australia, Leadership, Personal Growth, Careers