Energy & Decarbonisation

Industry and Impact Analysis

Sapere’s energy and decarbonisation team combines intellectual insight with practical commercial experience.

We are experienced in resolving complex issues relating to:

  • Electricity and electrification
  • Gas and biogas supply
  • Transport and fuel supply
  • Low carbon transition
  • New technology.

What we do

We bring a meticulous understanding of energy markets and environmental economics to bear on a wide range of complex issues, applying to:

  • Regulatory analysis
  • Market design
  • Economic modelling and forecasting
  • Valuing natural resources and externalities
  • Cost-benefit analysis
  • Revenue and price setting
  • Future scenarios
  • Security and reliability
  • Carbon abatement costing and scenario analysis
  • Carbon planning and quantifications
  • Measuring the impact of environmental and planning policies
  • Freshwater and three waters policy
  • Trading and risk management.

 

Examples of our work in energy and decarbonisation

  • Cost-benefit analysis of building for climate change amendments to the Building Act 2004
  • Market power mitigation in the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM)
  • Business case for investment in Low Voltage Network Monitoring
  • Essential freshwater fegulations – Industry Impact Analysis
  • Benefits and costs of the Wilding Pine Management Programme Phase 2 executive summary
  • Review of governance of Distributed Energy Resource (DER) technical standards
  • Briefing to incoming government on climate action priorities
  • Distributed energy resources: Understanding the potential
  • What is really driving innovation in our plant-based sectors?
  • Achieving policy goals for the electricity industry
  • National Energy Security Assessment (NESA)
  • Benefits of an electricity futures market in Singapore – May 2016
  • Understanding the value of the electricity and Gas Complaints Commissioner – October 2015
  • Errors in Australian Energy Regulator’s draft decision on Ergon Energy’s 2016 Tariff Structure Statement
  • A lack of joined-up thinking on energy, water and climate change objectives
  • A clearer high standard of trading conduct rule
  • Transitioning to zero net emissions by 2050: Moving to a very low-emissions electricity system in New Zealand
  • A review of the fiscal cost estimate of moving to averaging accounting for existing forests within the Emissions Trading Scheme
  • Review of competition in the retail electricity and natural gas markets in New South Wales
  • Scoping study for a consumer energy data access system
  • Corporate governance in the transition to a low-carbon economy
  • Electricity sector review – 2018
  • Independent review of operating environment factors used to adjust efficient operating expenditure for economic benchmarking
  • Transitioning to zero net emissions by 2050: moving to a very low-emissions electricity system in New Zealand
  • An exploration of locational marginal pricing at the distribution level in the New Zealand context
  • Provision of information to the NZ ETS
  • Sapere critique of Queensland Competition Authority’s draft (and Final) Determination for retail electricity prices for 2016-17.
Our reputation is founded on independent analysis and an in-depth knowledge of this industry.
A landscape featuring green rolling hills with five wind turbines spread across the terrain, symbolizing decarbonisation efforts. In the background, there are mountains beneath a partially cloudy sky.

Key contacts

Toby Stevenson

Kieran Murray

David Reeve

Corina Comendant

Some of our recent articles of interest

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Social Return on Investment (SROI) of a mental health helpline

  • Client: Whakarongorau Aotearoa / New Zealand Telehealth
Sapere was asked to undertake an SROI of a mental healthline, finding the service delivers a 9:1 return, demonstrating substantial societal and health system value across diverse user needs.
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Powering the future: Key challenges and insights for New Zealand’s energy market

The article highlights New Zealand’s energy challenges, emphasising the need for secure, reliable electricity amidst decarbonisation, market uncertainty, and regulatory reform to support long-term investment and energy security.
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The economic impact of the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Australian finance industry

  • Client: Australian Finance Industry Association
This report explores how AI adoption in Australian finance could add $48.9B to GDP by 2035 through productivity gains.
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Staff spotlight – Dr Julius Ohrnberger

Spotlighting Managing Consultant Dr. Julius Ohrnberger, his passion for research, making a difference, and his dream to dine with Kupe, New Zealand’s first Māori explorer.
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Setting project and program governance up for success: Sapere’s expert governance guide

Sapere’s Good Governance Guide helps project leaders improve governance by ensuring clear objectives, realistic constraints, effective leadership, risk management, and proper decision-making structures.
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Staff spotlight – Sue Friend

This month we spotlight Sue Friend, a Managing Director in our Forensics team. Sue shares her love of the outdoors and hiking and finds this brings balance to her work at Sapere.
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Thinking about utility customer engagement

In this article Dr Richard Tooth examines developments in how regulated utilities engage with their customers, the problem of uninformed respondent bias and other issues.
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Sunset review of the regulations for Victorian private health service establishments

  • Client: Victorian Department of Health
This report analyses proposed changes to Victoria's Health Service Establishment Regulations, focusing on improving clinical governance, safety, and quality. The RIS reviewed the impact of these changes and provided recommendations.
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