The Hon. Chris Bowen MP, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, will Address the National Press Club on “Energy Security in an Uncertain World”.

As Australia endures the second global energy crisis in the 2020s how can we fortify our grid and economy from uncertainty? Renewable energy is not only the lowest emissions form of energy and the cheapest, but also in many senses the most secure form of energy. As the Minister has said: the sun has to travel 150 million kilometres to get to the Earth, But it does not have to travel the 150 kilometres that are the Straits of Hormuz. With battery technology now hitting its stride, and Australia third in the world for storage uptake, we are seeing the transition’s promise begin to deliver – with declining wholesale prices and more households taking up renewables. Challenges remain, but this most recent disruption only underscores the need to keep going.

BIO

Chris grew up in Smithfield in Western Sydney, attending Smithfield Public School and St Johns Park High School. He graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Economics. He has also a Master’s Degree in International Relations and a Diploma in Modern Languages (Bahasa Indonesia). He joined the Labor Party in 1988 and was elected to Fairfield Council in 1995, serving as Mayor of Fairfield for 1998 and 1999. He also served as President of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils from 2000 to 2002. Chris entered Parliament in 2004 and has held a wide range of portfolios including serving as Treasurer, Minister for Human Services, Minister for Immigration, and Minister for Small Business. He is currently the Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Chris lives in Smithfield with his wife Rebecca, children Grace and Max and his Labradors Ollie and Toby and is a keen supporter of the GWS Giants.