Circuit Breaker 2025 – Our first industry event
On July 29, 2025, DT Infrastructure was thrilled to host our first industry event – Circuit Breaker Sydney 2025!
This event brought together industry leaders and experts to discuss the future of Australia’s renewable energy sector. Drinks and nibbles were served, providing a relaxed atmosphere for networking among industry professionals.
General Manager of Strategy, Tom Perkin was our fantastic host for the evening.
Tom welcomed everyone to our inaugural event and enlightened attendees with an anecdote about how the event coincided with the same day as the first testing by Thomas Edison of the New York power station in 1882. A fitting coincidence given the purpose of the Circuit Breaker event and topics of discussion.
Our keynote speaker on the night, Dr. Nicholas Fearnley PhD, Head of Global Construction Forecasting at Oxford Economics Australia, delivered a compelling and captivating overview of the current state of Australia’s construction sector.
His presentation titled “Australian Construction Outlook: Where are we heading?”, discussed the energy and renewables sector as it navigates new challenges, opportunities, and global factors such as the US Administration’s ‘Liberation Day.’
Dr. Fearnley discussed the imminent peak of the transportation infrastructure boom and the rapid growth of renewable energy asset classes, particularly wind power, in decarbonising the grid.
He also addressed the federal government’s capacity to invest more in these sectors, underscoring the industry’s potential for transformation driven by technological advancements and sustainable development.
Furthermore, Dr. Fearnley touched on labour shortages, the role of artificial intelligence in workforce dynamics and noted the shift of work into more regional areas of Australia.
Following his presentation, Dr Fearnley joined Will Cunneen, Head of Business Development for Western Australia at Aula Energy and Katherine Rayment, Senior Commercial Manager at Voyager Renewables for a panel discussion, hosted by Tom Perkin.
Topics in the lively discission covered the transition from a peaked transport-infrastructure pipeline to substantial energy and renewable projects, with a focus on overcoming resource availability challenges and bridging skills gaps for those moving between sectors.
Katherine Rayment, who leads the commercial strategy, financial modelling, and business case development at Voyager Renewables, discussed strategies for managing tight labour markets.
The panellists also addressed the $62 billion annual productivity loss in construction, and the limited benefits from AI.
Will Cunneen, who brought 15 years of experience in energy and infrastructure investments and asset management to the panel, explored the difficulty of securing project offtakes, the potential of data centres as future targets, and the implications of recent federal election results on investor confidence and state policies.
Quick-fire questions addressed potential changes to enhance the renewable industry, attract youth, and mitigate global supply-chain risks, along with suggestions for improving the role of Contractors/EPCs.
DT Infrastructure’s CEO John Anderson was thrilled with the success of event and was particularly pleased to share the occasion with some of the industry’s best and brightest.
DT Infrastructure would like to thank you all our guest speakers, attendees, and the DTI Marketing & Communications Team for making this event a success.
We look forward to continuing the conversation and driving innovation in the renewable energy sector as we transition to a clean energy future.
