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Representatives from 12 cities supporting the world's major energy industries will meet for the World Energy Cities Partnership Conference co-sponsored by The University of Western Australia.

UWA Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Robson, said Perth was the only Australian city in the partnership, indicative of its global significance in supplying the world's energy needs.

"WA is the obvious choice for the focus of such a conference since this State is the economic powerhouse of the nation," Professor Robson said.

"While Australia's population focus and Federal governance lies on the east coast, the economic and resource focus is firmly here in the west."

Topics to be discussed include the social challenges of regional energy communities; the impact on established energy communities of events such as the Deep Water Horizon disaster; the challenges of managing a booming economy; renewable energies including geothermal and wave; and balancing energy security and greenhouse gas reductions.

With Perth, member cities of the partnership at the conference are Aberdeen (Scotland), Calgary, Halifax and St John's (Canada), Dammam (Saudi Arabia), Daqing and Dongying (People's Republic of China), Dohar (Qatar), Houston (USA), Luanda (Angola), and Stavanger (Norway).

Four partnership cities - Malabo, Port Harcourt, San Fernando and Villahermosa - are not in attendance.

The annual meeting brings together civic, business, industry and academic leaders from the cities to discuss matters of mutual interest.

The conference , from Friday 28 October to Saturday 29 October, is hosted by the City of Perth at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre.

Media references

Dr Jim Limerick (Project Director, UWA Energy and Minerals Institute)  (+61 8)  6488 2188
Janine MacDonald (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 5563  /  (+61 4) 32 637 716