How this experienced engineer is paving the way to Queensland’s clean energy future.
While most of us take the electricity we use for granted, Frank is constantly considering new possibilities for clean, reliable and affordable power in Queensland. As Manager for Network Strategy at Powerlink, the work Frank and his team do every day brings us closer to making this future a reality.
The right place and the right time
What does the future look like?
What are all the different possibilities, and how do we understand them? How do we influence them?
Is there any way to shape the future to be more optimal for power in Queensland?
These are the kind of big questions that Frank and the Energy Futures team discuss every day at Powerlink.
“We have a lot of conversations about what the future looks like, but we’re very conscious that there’s not just one path, but many, and that the best solution today may not be the best solution 20 years from now. You can’t be constrained by the status quo; everything we know today could change tomorrow, so my team looks at it from a long-term and holistic perspective.”
Frank is better placed than most to do this blue-sky thinking. His journey with Powerlink started long ago, before it was even called Powerlink!
“I was studying electrical engineering at university, and I was able to get an internship at the Queensland Electricity Commission (QEC), which was Powerlink’s predecessor. I had never realised how exciting the power industry was until then. The range of problems to solve is broad, but for me, it’s more than that. It’s the purpose. I saw that this was somewhere I could make a significant difference to the economic development of the state. That was what really attracted me.”
When Frank finished university, he knew he wanted to return to QEC, which had just re-established itself as Powerlink. Whether it was technical engineering work in transmission planning or business case development for the Revenue Reset, he loved sinking his teeth into all the varied and interesting projects available to him.
Frank’s first stint at Powerlink came to an end in 2004 when he moved to a nation-wide energy market operator. But Powerlink was never out of sight or mind.
“Even in my other role, Powerlink was a very important stakeholder, so I was still working with them and I saw the pivotal position the company was in for this energy transition. We’ve got to completely redesign and reinvent Queensland’s electricity supply in the next 15 years or so. And Powerlink is right at the centre, trying to connect the dots between supply and demand sources. It’s fast, super complex work, and a very rare case of the right place at the right time.”
A legacy that lasts
Frank returned to Powerlink in March 2022 as Manager of Network Strategy, where he brings his incredible expertise to a dynamic, data-driven team who are considered experts in their field.
“One of the best things about Powerlink is the people. Some people here have the ability to see through enormous amounts of data and information and make stories of them. It’s almost like they can see the matrix. But what I’m most in awe of is when those people can communicate very complex information simply. They’re absolutely fantastic at what they do, but none of them are arrogant about it. Everyone is very open to new ideas and possibilities.”
This open-mindedness is a key quality in the Energy Futures division, where every day, Frank and his team consider all the possible pathways for Queensland’s energy future. And with the Queensland Government announcing the Energy and Jobs Plan in September 2022, there’s never been a more critical time to think about this future.
“Queensland is going through an exciting time at the moment with the release of the Energy and Jobs Plan, and Powerlink is in a central position to deliver a world-class energy future for Queensland. If you want a career that’s greater than just now, Powerlink gives you a very real entry point to play a role in decarbonising the planet. I don’t know of a more inspiring time to join the electricity industry than today.”
And for someone who’s been in the industry for as long as Frank has, that’s saying something! His lengthy career in power has made him something of an industry legend. Having experienced the vacation program himself, Frank can attest that it sets your career up for success.
“I’d encourage any graduates to give it a try because it’s only once you experience it for yourself that it opens your eyes to a world that’s a lot richer than you previously thought. If anyone has thoughts on the future of energy and the pivotal role we play in that, if you want to work on something super complex but very exciting, come here. It can be challenging because sometimes we’re working on things that don’t have a recipe. But that’s what makes it really fun.”
And as for Frank’s future? It’s brighter than ever because every day, he gets to do what matters most.
“What matters most to me is having a life with purpose. Every day, I get to come to work and reimagine what the power system could look like, and then play a role in actually making it happen. Why would I think about working anywhere else?”