There is a correlation between energy use and GDP per capita but access to energy is limiting growth. What if we could democratize access to energy? One of Australia’s leading regular commentators on energy, renewables, consumer trends, technology, and innovation, Ed McManus is the CEO of renewable energy generator Meridian Energy Australia and energy retailer Powershop Australia. Driven by a desire to make a contribution in a growth sector which is pivotal to ongoing economic prosperity, and efforts to decarbonise the economy, Ed sought out an opportunity in renewable energy - a decision that led to his appointment as CEO of one of Australia’s most innovative energy companies. Part of the largest 100% renewable generator in Australasia, Meridian Energy Australia is an energy company focused on developing new electricity from environmentally sustainable renewable resources. A long standing investor in Australia, Meridian Energy is the owner-operator of the Mt Mercer and Mt Millar wind farms and has invested over a billion dollars in generation and retail activities in recent years. Meridian Energy is also proud to have launched and grown Powershop in Australia to give Australians the choice of a better power company. Ranked by Greenpeace as Australia’s greenest energy company (2014 & 2015), Powershop is a 100% online energy retailer, driving a unique service that gives customers transparency like they’ve never had before over a key part of their household budget - their energy bill. Serving customers in Victoria, New South Wales, and South East Queensland, Powershop is Australia’s only electricity retailer to be certified 100% carbon neutral by the Australian Government, and now retails electricity to over 100,000 customers including homes and businesses around the country. Ed was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Meridian Energy Australia and Powershop Australia in January 2016, having previously been the General Manager of Powershop from 2014-2016. Under Ed’s leadership, Powershop has grown from 10,000 to 100,000 customers and has been ranked the #1 retailer on Canstar Blue’s Most Satisfied Customer - Electricity Providers Victoria for two years running (2015 & 2016). With 15 years of prior experience in commercial roles, Ed has a deep understanding of consumer trends and industry disruption. Prior to his work in the energy sector, he worked for REA Group’s realestate.com.au in roles across sales and marketing, operations and pricing strategy, and began his career as a medical research scientist with several years working for one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, GlaxoSmithKline. Ed holds a Bachelor of Science from Trinity College Dublin and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Dundee. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
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