The purpose, role and responsibilities of the Energy Transformation Taskforce are outlined in its Terms of Reference.
The Taskforce reported directly to the Minister for Energy and comprised five members, including an Independent Chair and four senior State Government officials.
Mr Stephen Edwell
- Independent Chair
Mr Edwell is an Economist specialising in energy market regulation and design. He has held various senior appointments in Federal and State Governments across Australia, including responsibility for the implementation of large-scale market reforms. He played a lead role in Queensland joining the National Electricity Market, and in designing and implementing the Wholesale Electricity Market in Western Australia.
Mr Edwell has been a senior member of energy regulatory Boards in Australia since 2005, including the Economic Regulation Authority, the Australian Energy Regulator and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.
More recently, Mr Edwell was Chair of State-owned electricity utility Horizon Power.
Mr Michael Court
- Taskforce Member
- Deputy Under Treasurer
- Department of Treasury
Mr Court was permanently appointed Deputy Under Treasurer in September 2016 after having acted in the role since February 2014. This followed more than five years as the Executive Director of Treasury’s Economic business unit.
In his role, Mr Court assists the Under Treasurer in the management of Treasury, with a primary focus on whole-of-government budget management and fiscal strategy and other priority strategic issues. Mr Court is also responsible for Treasury’s corporate service functions, and for providing advice and strategic direction on public sector reform issues.
Mr Court is also Deputy Chair of the Western Australian Treasury Corporation Board.
Ms Kate Ryan
- Taskforce Member
- Executive Director
- Energy Policy WA
Ms Ryan was permanently appointed Executive Director of Energy Policy WA and Coordinator of Energy in May 2020 after having acted in the role since September 2019. This follows her appointment as Program Director of the Energy Transformation Implementation Unit in May 2019.
Ms Ryan is an energy sector professional with extensive experience in energy sector policy, reform, regulation and market design.
Prior to her appointment as Program Director of the Energy Transformation Implementation Unit, Ms Ryan held the role of Specialist Markets with the former Public Utilities Office. She has also held senior executive roles in government and energy market institutions, including the former Independent Market Operator in Western Australia and Queensland Government energy agencies.
Mr Brett Sadler
- Taskforce Member
- Director
- Economic and Environment Policy
- Department of the Premier and Cabinet
Mr Sadler is the Director of Economic and Environment Policy at the Department of the Premier and Cabinet. He commenced in this role in July 2017. Prior to this, he was an Executive Director at the former Department of State Development and subsequently the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation. He has also held senior roles in the energy policy area, including at the former Office of Energy.
In his current role, Mr Sadler is responsible for providing whole of government policy advice and support on a broad range of economic and environmental issues. This includes jobs and economic diversification, regulation and reform, energy, regional issues, immigration, skills and training, climate change, water, waste, PFAS (per- and poly-fluoro alkyl substances), carbon farming and land management.
Ms Katharine McKenzie
- Taskforce Member
- Principal Policy Adviser to the Hon Bill Johnston MLA, Minister for Energy
Ms McKenzie is an energy policy specialist and commercial lawyer with extensive experience across the electricity and gas sectors.
Ms McKenzie is the Principal Policy Adviser to the Minister for Energy and a Director and Vice President of the Australian Institute of Energy. She is also the Founder and former Chair of 'Women in Energy', a network launched in 2015 to connect, support and inspire women in the energy sector.
In her previous role at law firm Jackson McDonald, Ms McKenzie assisted government in policy development and provided strategic regulatory and commercial advice to local and international energy, mining and infrastructure companies on energy matters and major infrastructure access.
