Wired For Change: Endeavour Energy's Strategy For A Net-Zero Future

Forbes

a day ago

Between now and 2030, the energy network will change faster than it did in the last century. That's according to Guy Chalkley, CEO of Endeavour Energy. Chalkley was sharing his thoughts on navigating the energy transition at the recent SAP for Energy and Utilities 2025 conference in Rotterdam.
'Every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision, and change,' he said, quoting Richard Branson, the British entrepreneur and founder of the Virgin Group. The topic of aviation was clearly on his mind—perhaps because he lives in a country where it takes five hours to fly from one side to the other.
Endeavour Energy, the major network operator in New South Wales, Australia, delivers electricity to over 2.7 million people across the eastern coast of the country.
'We've typically added about 20,000 new customers each year,' Chalkley said. 'But what's really benefited Endeavour lately is a strong push—both from the federal and state governments—to move more people to Western Sydney.'
Chalkley went on to explain that in ten years, 7 out of 10 new jobs and 7 out of 10 new residents will be based in Western Sydney. 'But it's not just about moving people—they're building the full infrastructure to support the move,' he said. 'A big part of this is the new Western Sydney International airport, which is acting as a major catalyst for all the development happening in the area.'
Most airports are located in the middle of cities, so flights usually stop by 11 p.m. due to noise restrictions. Building a new airport in Western Sydney changes that. The new airport will operate 24/7 and be a major logistics hub. Amazon has already set up its central Australian distribution center there, along with many major supermarket distributors. The new airport will also open up access for international airlines, which currently struggle to get landing slots at Sydney's main airport.
In addition, a brand-new city—Bradfield—is being developed around the airport and is expected to grow rapidly. The new airport is a transformative project for Australia's logistics and freight sectors, offering enhanced capacity, continuous operations, and integration with broader economic initiatives in the region.
All of these developments come with a substantial demand for energy.
Managing a complex energy system
Endeavour Energy
The energy ecosystem is complex. It includes transmission infrastructure to transport energy from generators such as wind or solar farms to supply stations. It includes electricity distributors such as Endeavour Energy to transport energy from the supply stations to the local substations, as well as retailers who handle billing and invoicing.
It now also includes privately generated power and distributed energy resources (DER) to manage electricity that is generated and shared locally. With the rise of solar panels and home batteries, many households are now playing a direct role in creating and distributing energy. DER refers to the devices that can generate, store, and control energy to ensure its consumption at a particular time.
The contribution of a single household to the network might seem insignificant, but the combined energy flow can have a significant impact on the network load.
In this new scenario, energy is flowing two ways—from the customer to the network and vice versa, creating a challenge for traditional networks that were not designed for the two-way flow of power. Many adjustments are required to smooth the flows of fluctuating power and ensure power reliability. However, DER offers great benefits. When well managed, it allows more renewable power onto the network, which is often cost-effective.
'We are leveraging technology and data to plan the grid of the future where batteries, microgrids and solar integrate seamlessly with the traditional distribution network to power communities for a brighter future,' Chalkley explained.
The company supplies an area over 25,000 square kilometers, with more than 430,000 power poles and streetlight columns, 202 major substations, and 32,600 distribution substations. They are all connected by nearly 60,600 kilometers of underground and overhead cables, more than the distance from Sydney to London and back. The network also integrates with renewable energy sources including 200,000 residential solar connections, industrial solar and embedded large-scale batteries.
'We're working with customers, stakeholders, and regulators to help deliver a clean energy future where smart meters, batteries, and solar enable customers to generate, store, and sell back electricity into the grid,' he said.
For this reason, the company is deploying more than 80 community batteries throughout the network to alleviate some of the pressure on energy costs while increasing access to renewable energy.
Chalkley highlighted the fact that such a vast network can't be reliable without being resilient to climate change. 'There's a growing dependence in society on electricity as we electrify everything,' he said. 'We have a detailed strategy for making our networks resilient against weather events like floods, bushfires, and increasing urban heat.'
At Endeavour Energy, resilience is defined by the ability to anticipate, withstand, recover, and learn from major disruptive events. The resilience strategy includes:
To achieve this level of resilience the company's strategy is fully aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
'From a distribution perspective, we're in a good place to actually effect change, as we're probably the link that allows other businesses to change,' Chalkley concluded.
Because sustainability is not just an environmental issue, the company is engaging more with the community and customers. It is also investing heavily in innovation and in employee training to build the necessary skills and mindset for the future.
Prepping for a net-zero future
Endeavour Energy
'As a distribution company, our goal is to facilitate the transition to renewable energy to secure a more sustainable future,' he said.