Hancock's blog

A Californian perspective from someone who ought to know

This is the first of a podcast series I recorded back in 2013 on Energy News that I am now releasing. It remains relevant today as we embark on another review of the New Zealand electricity market.

Jim Bushnell is an Associate Professor at the University of California, Davis. He was in New Zealand in August 2013 as the ST Lee Visiting Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Competition and Regulation. He gave a lecture in Wellington asking If Electricity Liberalisation is So Great, why does everybody hate it? Topical stuff in the light of the Labour-Green Power NZ proposals, but the audience was about 100 of the usual suspects and I thought it deserved a wider airing.

Over the next few months we'll retrace the journey from an American perspective – from why they liberalised electricity in California, to Enron and the recent cases of price manipulation against JP Morgan and others. Bushnell starts by explaining what motivated him to write the lecture – and it wasn't Power NZ.

Might need to take a few risks?

For the past few weeks, Sophie has been talking to Deanna Anderson who's the Kaitohu of the Energy Academy which is working to grow our talent pool in support of a sustainable energy system.

Last week Deanna's challenge was that our working environment was designed by men to enhance the productivity, well, of men – and whether that's going to be ok?

This week, John throws the challenge of showing us what good looks like back to her …

Or will we attract and retain our future workforce as it is?

For the next few weeks, Sophie is talking to Deanna Anderson who's the Kaitohu of the Energy Academy which is working to grow our talent pool in support of a sustainable energy system.

Last week Deanna and Sophie talked about the importance of reverse mentoring where younger workers may need to coach those who've been in the workforce for a while and how technology could change the way we pursue and manage productivity.

This week, Deanna's challenge is that our working environment was designed by men to enhance the productivity, well, of men – and whether that's going to be ok?

Who's coaching who in the future?

For the next few weeks, Sophie is talking to Deanna Anderson who's the Kaitohu of the Energy Academy which is working to grow our talent pool in support of a sustainable energy system.

Last week Deanna considered who our future role models might need to be and the need to be kind to those who find themselves leading organisations that look pretty different from the ones they started their careers in.

This week she and Sophie talk about the importance of reverse mentoring where younger workers may need to coach those who've been in the workforce for a while and how technology could change the way we pursue and manage productivity.

How old and new workforces can play nicely

For the next few weeks, Sophie is talking to Deanna Anderson who's the Kaitohu of the Energy Academy which is working to grow our talent pool in support of a sustainable energy system.

Last week Deanna talked about some of the pioneering work the Energy Academy has done with storytelling and gamifying energy education.

This week she flips to the other end of the workforce and considers who our future role models might need to be and the need to be kind to those who find themselves leading organisations that look pretty different from the ones they started their careers in.

Book keeping and engineering or gaming and digital literacy?

For the next few weeks, Sophie is talking to Deanna Anderson who's the Kaitohu of the Energy Academy which is working to grow our talent pool in support of a sustainable energy system.

Last week they explored what collaboration for innovation really involves.

This week Deanna talks about some of the pioneering work the Energy Academy has done with storytelling and gamifying energy education – with a twist of Mātauranga Māori!

For the next few weeks, Sophie is talking to Deanna Anderson, the Kaitohu of the Energy Academy which is working to grow our talent pool in support of a sustainable energy system.

Last week they talked about the legacy learning and development institutions in the sector and whether they're really appropriate for the needs of our future workforce.

This week they explore what collaboration for innovation really involves. Deanna's quite good at forcing the conversation beyond the superficial.

Introducing the Energy Academy

For the next few weeks, Sophie is talking to Deanna Anderson who's the Kaitohu of the Energy Academy which is working to grow our talent pool in support of a sustainable energy system.

They start by talking about the legacy learning and development institutions in the sector and whether they're really appropriate for the needs of our future workforce.

Keeping it appealing to everyone

So after 15 years cranking out my blog and podcast for Energy News, I've decided to use the platform to host some new voices and unconventional perspectives to shed some light on how we're going to manage the energy transition. Sophie Burgess "the Accidental Energy Professional" is joining me on the journey.

For the next few weeks, we're talking to Shelley Pearce who's the Director of Engineering NZ's rather wonderful Wonder Project, their free programme for schools, designed to get young Kiwis excited about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

This week Sophie and Shelley talk about what Engineering NZ is doing to get non-traditional talent into the profession.

If you're interested in being an Ambassador for the next round of the Wonder Project which starts in Term 2 2024, you can sign up here or follow the links above.

You don't have to be a graduate

So after 15 years cranking out my blog and podcast for Energy News, I've decided to use the platform to host some new voices and unconventional perspectives to shed some light on how we're going to manage the energy transition. Sophie Burgess "the Accidental Energy Professional" is joining me on the journey.

For the next few weeks, we're talking to Shelley Pearce who's the Director of Engineering NZ's rather wonderful Wonder Project, their free programme for schools, designed to get young Kiwis excited about science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).

This week Sophie and Shelley look beyond primary/intermediate at the pathways to get all sorts of talented people into the sector, not just graduates.

If you're interested in being an Ambassador for the next round of the Wonder Project which starts in Term 2 2024, you can sign up here or follow the links above.