• Click here for Calliope SHS workshop photos.
• Click here for Gladstone SHS workshop photos.
• Click here for Chanel College workshop photos.

Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) supplies 200 terawatt hours of electricity to 9 million customers each year and today’s youth will be the beneficiaries of current decisions about the energy mix.

Gladstone students took up the challenge of designing a system to ‘Powering our Future’ as part of workshops delivered by the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) – the educational arm of the Queensland Resources Council (QRC).

The workshops, exploring the NEM and new energy sources, were delivered to Year 8 science students at Calliope State High School, Gladstone State High School and Chanel College in partnership with ConocoPhillips as the downstream operator of Australia Pacific LNG (APLNG).

Calliope SHS principal, Gerowyn Lacaze, said the full-day workshop immersed the students into the subject of power supply and the changing energy mix.

“The students mixed theory and hands-on activities – studying the NEM and completing a wind turbine experiment which gave them a practical understanding of energy sources and their impact,” said Ms Lacaze.

Stakeholder Relations Manager at ConocoPhillips Australia, Ms Chantale Lane said the workshop was designed to complement the science curriculum and integrate local content relevant to the students.

“Many of the students have parents working in the energy sector or the port,” said Ms Lane.

“The workshop connected their understanding of the various roles in the gas and energy industry and how they all play a part in delivering the power we use every day.”

Queensland Resources Council Director for Skills, Education and Diversity, Katrina-Lee Jones said with energy market dynamics continually evolving it was an ideal time to open the students to more discussion on this critical resource.

“By tapping into real-time data from the NEM students gained a deeper understanding of what it means to forecast and control demand to the electricity grid particularly during peak periods,” said Ms Jones.

“By the end of the workshop they have gained a new perspective on how their individual actions impact energy consumption levels and how a mix of renewable and traditional fuels are needed to meet electricity demands and the future of net zero.”