Obama's Climate Change Speech

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This dated news record has been reorganised for clear reading and connected to current guidance.

Publication date: June 28, 2013.

Status note: Present-tense statements, market figures, deadlines and program details in the archived record belong to its publication date. Check current official sources before making a decision.

What this article reported

Great to see the US President making a clear stand and vision for moving on addressing climate change.

President Barack Obama outlined a long-awaited plan to tackle climate change, which included new regulations on power plants and protections for coastlines against sea level rise.

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How to use this information now

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What is the actual content focus of the page at /news/energy-crisis-australia-needs-national-demand-side-operator?

Despite its URL reference to Australia's energy crisis and demand-side operator, the page's actual headline and content are titled "Obama's Climate Change Speech." The page features President Barack Obama's announcement of climate regulations on power plants and coastal protections, delivered at Georgetown University. The article is credited to Northmore Gordon and links to a Bloomberg transcript for the full speech. This content mismatch highlights the importance of verifying page titles against URLs when seeking specific energy policy information.

Which Australian demand-management programmes can businesses assess?

Northmore Gordon advises on facility and organisational-level demand management rather than national-scale frameworks. Relevant Australian programmes include the NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS), which supports eligible reduction of demand during specified peak conditions, and energy management systems for large energy users. Relevant services include energy audits, metering, measurement and verification, and energy optimisation services that help businesses reduce peak demand and manage consumption patterns—all operational tools rather than national-level demand-side operator infrastructure.

How does the NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme support business demand management?

The NSW PDRS is a government scheme focused on peak-demand reduction and business battery projects. It operates as a market-based programme distinct from the NSW Energy Savings Scheme. The scheme's full activity requirements became effective from 7 September 2026. Our knowledge library covers PDRS requirements and can support eligible organisations in assessing project feasibility, understanding measurement and verification pathways, and exploring business battery investments. However, the PDRS operates at the facility or portfolio level, not as a national demand-side operator function.

What energy management systems can help organisations reduce peak demand?

Australian Government guidance describes energy management systems as structured approaches incorporating leadership, policy, objectives, responsibilities and ongoing improvement. An organisation can assign ownership, maintain opportunity registers, and review performance measures including peak demand tracking. For water utilities and multi-site operations, SCADA-enabled load optimisation can coordinate operating loads across facilities. These systems turn energy assessments into operational improvements, but they function at the organisational level to optimise existing infrastructure rather than operate national demand-side capacity.

How can businesses leverage environmental certificates to support demand management investments?

The NSW Peak Demand Reduction Scheme and business battery projects can potentially create environmental certificates under eligible conditions. We describe support for project registration, certificate creation and trading, alongside engineering and commercial assessment. A project's technology alone does not establish eligibility; the specific activity must meet scheme requirements and evidence standards. We can help assess whether demand-reduction or battery-storage projects qualify for certificates, identify measurement and verification pathways, and evaluate the commercial contribution of certificates to project investment cases.

What measurement and verification requirements apply to demand-reduction projects in NSW?

NSW's measurement and verification framework requires an agreed boundary, baseline, and analysis methodology to demonstrate what energy use or demand would have been without the intervention. For PIAM&V projects under the NSW Energy Savings Scheme, baseline measurement procedures must be deemed appropriate by an M&V professional before implementation. The NSW Government's M&V guide provides project sequencing from planning through savings determination. We offer M&V services including project-boundary selection, baseline modelling and savings calculation—essential for establishing eligible demand reductions under applicable schemes.

What operational and commercial preparation is needed before starting a demand-reduction project?

Our six-stage delivery approach emphasises preparing evidence before commitments. For demand-reduction projects: establish baseline consumption and peak-demand patterns through metering or interval data; document existing equipment and operating conditions; identify applicable scheme requirements and timing prerequisites; prepare a project brief specifying business decision, site location, energy data available and decision deadline; and confirm measurement and M&V responsibilities early. This preparation preserves funding options and evidence quality. The investment case should compare the project with and without conditional programme support, ensuring the operational merits remain clear.

How do organisational energy audits identify demand-reduction opportunities?

Energy audits investigate site energy use and identify improvement opportunities matched to real decisions. Australian Government guidance distinguishes Type 1 (basic overview), Type 2 (detailed with financial evaluation) and Type 3 (precision assessment of major subsystems) audits. For demand-reduction, audits should specify operating conditions, peak-demand drivers, equipment performance and control strategies. Our audit services produce an opportunity register documenting each measure's boundary, estimated effect, assumptions and evidence quality. This register supports prioritisation and can inform demand-reduction project selection, provided the audit scope is matched to the decision—whether screening, ranking investments or examining specific systems.

What role do data systems and monitoring play in managing demand across multiple sites?

Multi-site energy management requires consistent data systems, responsibilities and performance indicators. We describe moreData as a supporting platform providing energy and water data collection, performance analysis and reporting. Its features include data collection from meters and retailer bills, energy-balance views, performance indicator tracking, opportunity analysis with cost curves, and NGER reporting functionality. For water utilities and industrial portfolios, this monitoring supports identification of high-energy sites, trending of consumption patterns and coordination of demand-response opportunities. Effective data systems enable organisations to turn energy information into operational decisions.

What technical areas should organisations investigate when assessing demand-reduction feasibility?

Australian Government sector guides identify investigation areas relevant to demand reduction: refrigeration systems (compressor efficiency and control), compressed air (leakage and operating pressure), process heating and electrification options, and equipment maintenance. Industrial facilities should examine operating loads, shift patterns and production-dependent demand. Water utilities focus on pumping and distribution systems, treatment processes and aeration. For all sectors, metering and monitoring must answer specific operational questions: which systems drive peak demand, what triggers demand spikes, and where can load shifting or efficiency improvements be implemented? We provide targeted utility benchmarking and feasibility assessment services to support these investigations.

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