The Clean Energy Regulator is the independent statutory authority, governed by the Regulator, a decision-making body consisting of a Chair and other Members. The Regulator is responsible for determining the agency's strategic objectives and policies which underpin its operation and performance to ensure it functions effectively.
Members of the Regulator are appointed by the responsible minister under the
Clean Energy Regulator Act 2011 and are required to have substantial experience or knowledge in fields relevant to the Clean Energy Regulator. The Chair holds office on a full-time basis. All other Members hold office on a part-time basis.
In addition to their collective responsibilities, Members of the Regulator each apply their expertise to a specific area of focus. This adds depth to the Regulator's appreciation of its operating environment and enables agency officers to draw directly on Members' knowledge and experience. Members provide an update on their area of focus at each Regulator meeting.
Current membership
Current membership of the Regulator includes:
Mr David Parker AM, Chair of the Clean Energy Regulator
The Minister appointed David Parker as Chair of the Clean Energy Regulator on 3 July 2017 for a period of 5 years. His term has been extended to 2 July 2026.
Mr Parker has extensive experience in economics and public administration with a long professional involvement in policy and regulatory matters in a range of areas.
Prior to joining the agency, Mr Parker was Deputy Secretary at the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources. Mr Parker was responsible for the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences, the Department's Water, Export, Trade and Market Access divisions.
Mr Parker has been Deputy Secretary at the Department of the Environment and Energy with responsibility for water, Antarctica and National parks, and elements of climate change policy.
Mr Parker spent 25 years at Treasury, where he worked on financial sector liberalisation, tax reform, macroeconomic forecasting and policy, competition policy, energy policy and international economic issues. He was made a Deputy Secretary in 2004.
From 1997 to 2002 Mr Parker worked at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris. Mr Parker has qualifications in economics and law and was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 2012.
Mr John Kettle, Member of the Clean Energy Regulator
Area of focus: the Australian renewable energy sector, particularly his expertise in competition, international trade and regulated industries.
Mr Kettle is a graduate of both Trinity College Dublin (LL.B) and Oxford University (BCL). He has practised as a corporate, competition, trade and energy lawyer since the mid-1990s when he undertook his first renewables project in Ireland. He worked in Ireland, the UK and the EU across these markets working out of Dublin and London before relocating to Australia in 2013 with his Brisbane family.
Mr Kettle’s client base has included, and continues to include government, State-owned companies, private equity, multinationals and financiers across many industries but especially in energy and network markets. He runs the international corporate, competition, trade and energy law practice at McCullough Robertson.
Particular work experience includes drafting the trading and settlement rules for the Irish Single Electricity Market (similar to the NEM), advising on procurement of power capacity to avoid system security issues, the regulatory framework for energy market participants, restructuring of gas companies, utility scale solar developments and portfolio management, negotiating grid connection and power purchase agreements, dealing with market access, and financing power projects.
He has had many other roles. He has been the former Chair of the International Bar Association’s Public Law Committee, has lectured on competition law at the University of Queensland, and has been the competition law editor of the Australian Law Journal. He is a frequent speaker at legal and industry seminars and conferences in Australia and overseas on international and domestic legal issues as well as on industry strategy.
Mr Kettle has been appointed to a 3-year term commencing on 4 April 2022.
Mr Charles Kiefel AM, Member of the Clean Energy Regulator
Area of focus: Corporate finance, private equity, superannuation and funds management sectors
Mr Kiefel has a great depth of knowledge and experience in the corporate finance, private equity, superannuation and funds management sectors.
He is the chairman of The Principals Funds Management, a private company focused on the wholesale investment sector. Mr Kiefel has extensive leadership experience within influential global think tanks focused on international competitiveness and innovation.
Mr Kiefel’s commercial experience includes financial advisory and asset management leadership roles with two of the renowned “Houses of Lazard”: Lazard Brothers & Co Limited in London and Lazard Freres in New York. He returned to Australia as the Director of Corporate Finance with Ord Minnett before being appointed as Managing Director of Corporate Finance at the ANZ Investment Bank.
Mr Kiefel was appointed an honorary Distinguished Fellow of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils in 2013 and was later appointed to its board as the honorary Australian representative. In March 2018, he was appointed co-chair (honorary role) of The Australian Government Advisory Board on Technology and Healthcare Competitiveness.
He has been a non-executive director of the not-for-profit Menzies Foundation for 28 years. Other board positions include with Pacific Equity Partners and CHAMP LBO Private Equity Fund. Mr Kiefel also served for 10 years as Chairman of the Military Superannuation and Benefits Board of Trustees No 1.
Mr Kiefel was awarded the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) in 2009 for “Service to the Superannuation and Funds Management industries and as a supporter of charitable and educational institutions”. In June 2019, he was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to Australia-United States relations, and to philanthropy”.
Mr Kiefel has been appointed to a 3-year term commencing on 24 November 2021.
Ms Kate Vidgen, Member of the Clean Energy Regulator
Area of focus: Renewable energy and transition
Ms Vidgen joined Macquarie in June 1998. Prior to joining Macquarie, she was a solicitor specialising in the energy sector and project finance. She has a variety of experience across a number of sectors including infrastructure, utilities and telecommunications in both a corporate advisory capacity and as a principal. Her main focus is now on energy and specifically the energy transition.
Ms Vidgen is currently the Global Head of Industrial Transition and Clean Fuels for the Green Investment Group (GIG). This role involves the deployment of capital globally and actively managing those investments. The key area of investment focus is the energy transition and enabling more traditional industries to accelerate their decarbonisation and leverage from existing infrastructure and skills to do so. She is also leading the development of the GIG strategy beyond renewables via products such as renewable hydrogen, green ammonia, sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel and technologies such as CCS.
Ms Vidgen undertakes a variety of governance and leadership functions across Macquarie Group including as the Chair of the Macquarie Group Climate Solutions Taskforce, a cross divisional group of senior leaders aimed at fostering global collaboration in the development of strategy, products and client solutions to accelerate the energy transition and decarbonisation. She also sits on the board of Blueleaf Energy, an Asian solar and onshore wind developer owned by GIG.
In addition, Ms Vidgen has had a range of governance experience with external organisations:
- A Non-Executive Director of Aurizon Holdings Ltd, Australia’s largest rail freight operator and a top 100 ASX company and is the Chair of the Aurizon Remuneration and HR Committee.
- From mid-2015 to the end of 2018, she was Founding Chair of Quadrant Energy, a large independent oil and gas producer and explorer in Western Australia. Quadrant Energy was the most significant oil and gas asset in Macquarie’s portfolio and was sold in November 2018 to Santos Limited for US$2.1 billion.
Ms Vidgen supports a number of not-for-profit and industry associations including sitting on the Council of Bond University in Queensland, being on the APAC Advisory Board of the Hawthorn Club and a member of the Hydrogen Sub-Committee of the Australia Korean Business Council.
Ms Vidgen is a strong supporter of diversity and is a member of Queensland Chapter of Chief Executive Women and was a prior Victorian Chair and National Board Member.
Ms Vidgen has a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Arts from Bond University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Ms Vidgen has been appointed to a 3-year term commencing on 21 May 2021.
Former Members
Mr Michael D’Ascenzo AO, Member of the Clean Energy Regulator
Mr D’Ascenzo AO served as a Member of the Clean Energy Regulator from 2 April 2013 until 25 February 2022.
Dr Peter Davis, Member of the Clean Energy Regulator
Dr Davis served as a Member of the Clean Energy Regulator from 18 January 2016 until 17 July 2021.
Ms Anne Brown, Member of the Clean Energy Regulator
Ms Brown served as a Member of the Clean Energy Regulator from 4 June 2012 until 2 December 2020.
Ms Virginia Malley, Member of the Clean Energy Regulator
Ms Malley served as a Member of the Clean Energy Regulator from 4 June 2012 until 2 December 2020.
Ms Jody Swirepik, Acting Chair of the Clean Energy Regulator
Ms Swirepik served as acting Chair of the Clean Energy Regulator from 1 April 2017 until 1 July 2017, following the end of Ms Munro's tenure and prior to the appointment of Mr Parker.
Ms Chloe Munro AO, Chair of the Clean Energy Regulator
Ms Munro served as the inaugural Chair of the Clean Energy Regulator for a 5-year term from 2 April 2012 until 31 March 2017.
Dr Michael Sargent AM, Member of the Clean Energy Regulator
Dr Sargent served as a Member of the Clean Energy Regulator from 2 April 2012 until 24 January 2015.
Ms Jennie Granger, Member of the Clean Energy Regulator
Ms Granger served as a Member of the Clean Energy Regulator from 2 April 2012 until 14 September 2012.
Further information
For more information about the Members of the Regulator, contact the secretariat on
committees@cer.gov.au