Sam Craft is a Director at NRG Solar with experience in operations management developing and implementing key strategic initiatives to strengthen and encourage professional and valuable customer service.

Sam completed her Bachelor of Law and Legal Practice in 2014 before joining the Renewable Energy Industry. She works across every aspect of NRG Solar, providing the business with critical insight to the legislation and regulation of the solar industry.

Dedicated to her work, Sam strives to ensure that NRG Solar is operating by its core values in every business decision, demonstrating that NRG Solar is a responsible and sustainable leader in the industry. She is continuously facilitating training for team members, as well as focusing on areas of personal development as she recently completed a Diploma of Management and Leadership.

Sam is a passionate advocate for renewables, and has a particular interest in seeing the industry work together to create a better world through collaboration, hence a vocal support for Solar Cutters.

Sam can be relied upon to give balanced support within the solar industry including technical information, strategy planning, network requirements and customer service.

Stephanie is a respected board level executive and transformation leader with over two decades of experience across the Australian energy sector and the broader economies it impacts. Stephanie has cemented her career in the energy sector holding leadership roles in technical, commercial, strategic, policy and advisory areas; She has expertise in energy market policy and regulation, new energy technologies and service innovation, as well as networks and grid modernisation.

Stephanie is Founder and CEO of Nexa Advisory working with public and private clients to help them navigate the energy transition and accelerate their efforts towards a clean energy future.

She previously led the policy vision & strategy at AGL with a key focus on the reform of network regulation relating to new energy technologies & services. Stephanie played important roles in driving the clean energy transformation and establishing the national policy agenda around virtual power plants, and competition reforms in new energy technologies and services.

Andrew Dickson has been a renewable energy project developer since 2004, initially with Wind Prospect and currently with CWP Global. 

He has developed wind farms (including the Snowtown Wind Farm in South Australia), solar thermal (including Solar Dawn in Queensland, which was successful in the Commonwealth’s Solar Flagships program in 2011), solar PV, microgrids, hydrogen and ammonia projects. 

He is currently developing “Power to X” (large scale hydrogen and ammonia) projects for CWP Global, with projects in Western Australia, Africa and South America, including the Asian Renewable Energy Hub in the Pilbara. 

Andrew is passionate about the potential for green hydrogen and ammonia energy to dramatically increase renewable energy adoption and to decarbonise hard to abate sectors. He Chairs the Ammonia Energy Association’s Australia Committee and is also a member of the AEA’s global Strategy Committee.

He led CWP Renewables’ Community Investment Scheme at the Sapphire Wind Farm, which was the first such investment scheme for the general public into a utility scale renewable energy project in Australia.

Andrew has a Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical and Electronic) degree from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Science and Technology Commercialisation degree from the University of Adelaide. 

Based in New Zealand, Barbara Elliston is a director of Elliston Power Consultants, Infratec Limited and Easy Warm. A qualified electrical engineer, Barbara’s background includes corporate governance, strategic development, transmission engineering, product development and start-ups in renewable energy, both solar thermal and solar photovoltaics.

Previous roles in “big-energy” electricity networks include directorships with Genesis Energy and Transpower, and in power management with Comalco NZ. Through these associations, Barbara’s experience over 30 years in the electricity sector encompass generation, transmission and distribution, power purchase, and now solar in homes. The entrepreneur is currently commercialising Hot PV™, a solar hot water product directly using solar PV to heat water, aiding stretched electrical networks and avoiding fuel supply to remote locations.

Taryn lives in Central Victoria and is the part-time manager of Australia’s first community-owned cooperative wind farm Hepburn Wind, working there for over a decade. The wind farm has pioneered the community energy movement in Australia and has been recognised with national and global awards for its unique approach. Hepburn Wind delivers a range of partnership programs under the collaborative banner of Hepburn Z-NET with their council and community such as solar and battery bulk buy, energy audits, EV bulk buy, EV charging infrastructure, to reach zero-net emissions by 2030.

In addition, Taryn works for UNSW on an Australian Research Council funded project ‘Just Climate Transitions in Regional Victoria’, which is focused on how social justice frameworks can stimulate community-led climate transitions. Taryn runs her own small consulting practice which undertakes research and advisory engagement work for the renewables sector. 

Taryn is a founding director of RE-Alliance, a founding director of the Coalition for Community Energy and a 2017 Winston Churchill Trust Fellow

Ria is the CEO of Greenbank Environmental, one of Australia’s largest independent environmental traders. She has played a key role in facilitating the renewable energy transition with extensive leadership experience, helping a range of stakeholders – from wind and solar farms to installers and carbon farmers – bring their environmental units and renewable energy certificates to market.

Ria also works with major energy companies and financial institutions to help them meet their obligations under federal and state environmental schemes, including voluntary procurement requirements.

During Ria’s 17 years dealing with Australian environmental products, she has gained the knowledge and expertise to help clients navigate complex energy markets and carbon schemes. Ria and Greenbank are focused on continuing to use their market-leading knowledge to deliver positive outcomes for local and international clients while supporting the renewable energy transition.

CEO Sentient Impact Group, Inaugural CEO of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC)

Oliver Yates has more than 30 years of global experience in corporate advisory, financial structuring, project finance, debt structuring, equity raising and listings, with extensive experience in clean energy.

Oliver Yates was the inaugural CEO of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC). Prior and subsequent to his time at the CEFC, Oliver was an Executive Director at Macquarie Bank for more than 20 years, being country head in the United States (1998-2004), co-head Macquarie Capital Private Placements Group (2004-2008) and co-head Macquarie Capital Products Group (2001-2008).

At Macquarie, Oliver was involved in establishing new businesses & growing the bank’s operations internationally, as well as leading the bank’s initiatives in wind, solar, biofuels, CO2 credits and other renewable businesses.

Oliver is a strong business development professional focused on growth and change for businesses that understand the need to operate in accordance with the science to limit global warming to below 2 degrees.

Oliver is currently CEO of Sentient Impact Group – a specialised Impact funds management and advisory business focused on changing the way all investments are made.

Oliver Yates holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, with an Advanced Diploma in Mastering the Boardroom.