Our Renewable Energy Capability
Pax Populus partners have been in renewables for 20 years, from when turbines were measured in kW and 10MW was a big project.
That long view and the trajectory of our careers over that time mean that we can offer the renewable energy sector skills and experience in two very pertinent domains: social risk and technology.
It’s an unusual combination of skills, and one that presents a great opportunity and value for renewable energy companies in an increasingly complex and competitive environment.
Social risk
Australia’s energy transition is being held up by people challenges, as much as any market or technical challenge.
As experts in stakeholder conflict and public participation process design, we at Pax Populus know how to reduce the social risk that tangles good projects up in distracting and expensive headlines, litigation and statutory approvals processes.
We’re not theorists. We’re sleeves-rolled-up practitioners.
Our advice is rooted in deep, practical experience at the public interface of large, contentious projects where there’s too much at stake to get the people side wrong
Our experience is hard-earned. We’ve sat at kitchen tables with upset landholders, facilitated many a tense meeting with project stakeholders, and defended the robustness and independence of our advice under cross-examination by regulators and legal counsel.
Our social risk offering:
Social risk assessment and mitigation plans
Social impact assessment
Social Licence to Operate frameworks
Stakeholder engagement strategy & informed consent process design
Compensation & benefits-sharing frameworks and negotiations
Conflict resolution processes.
Technology risk
As technologists with deep experience building and delivering scalable SaaS platforms for large enterprise customers, we’re bringing this expertise to the renewable energy sector to help them think into the future.
In an era when even banks are describing themselves as technology companies, renewable energy companies are lagging, and we’re setting out to change this.
The right technology stack combined with strategic use of Big Data and AI can supercharge your development and commercial teams to identify and rapidly assess more opportunities, faster and with higher quality outcomes. This means you can quickly focus and go deeper on the best opportunities, while your competitors are still bogged down with analysts and spreadsheets.
As product developers, we also understand that getting your technology right is only half the solution: your people need to be engaged and onboard as well. This is never more important than for cyber security, where human vulnerabilities are the most difficult to close off. This matters if you’re designated as Critical Infrastructure.
Together with our network of cyber security, spatial and Big Data, and AI experts, Pax can work with your technology team to design and implement a technology and data roadmap that will put you ahead of the pack.
Our technology offering:
Technology-enabled project management framework
Preparing to operate under the SOCI Act
Spatial and big data strategy for rapid opportunity assessment
IT governance and cyber security frameworks.
Pax Leadership
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Tim Offor
MANAGING PARTNER
Tim is a deeply experienced social scientist, technologist, mediator and business advisor. He has been supporting companies and governments with stakeholder relations, reputation, conflict and social risk for almost 30 years.
Tim has recently completed a 12-mth stint designing and building the scalable business and technology platform for a new Macquarie Green Investments’ renewable energy business.
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Barbara Sharp
PARTNER
Barbara is an internationally-recognized expert in managing reputation threats and designing high-stakes stakeholder conflict resolution processes for major infrastructure projects.
She's an ex-journalist and political adviser, public affairs director, global PR firm executive. Barbara's built two stakeholder engagement consulting businesses, and a taken a technology startup to the global marketplace, setting and driving strategy and revenue growth, raising investor funds, leading teams and building culture.
Examples of our work
Wind Energy
We have worked on 10 wind energy projects across Australia for clients including Origin Energy, RES, Meridian Energy and West Wind Energy. Our services have included strategic advice on engagement and communications, social impact assessment, qualitative and quantitative social research (focus groups, visual impact surveys), independent review of engagement processes, forum facilitation and expert witness testimony for panel hearings.
Transmission
We advised the Tasmanian government on social risk and engagement for the 290km Basslink HVDC interconnect and prepared the initial stakeholder engagement strategies and plans to guide proponent responses.
For Origin Energy’s proposed PNG Renewable Energy Project (1.8GW run of river hydro, 250km HVDC interconnect, 1,000km transmission line), we prepared all communication and stakeholder strategies and communication tools and provided strategic stakeholder relations advice.
Technology Enablement
Pax Partner Tim Offor recently designed and rolled out the technology and business systems build for a new Macquarie Green Investments’ renewable energy business. This work included a suite of controls in preparation for operating under the Security of Critical Infrastructure Act, a robust cyber security technical and social solution, securely onboarding more than 20 SaaS solutions and designing a technology and Big Data enabled Project Management Framework.