Why the ISP Puts Batteries at the Heart of the NEM with Alex Wonhas (AMPYR)

Want the latest news, analysis, and price indices from power markets around the globe - delivered to your inbox, every week?Sign up for the Weekly Dispatch - Modo Energy’s unmissable newsletter.Australia’s energy system is at a tipping point. As more renewables come online, the challenge is no longer just about building generation but about ensuring the grid can handle it reliably, affordably, and at speed. Without flexible infrastructure, bottlenecks grow, projects stall, and costs climb.In this episode, Wendel is joined by Alex Wonhas. The conversation explores how projects like Bulable One are redefining what batteries can deliver, how connections reform is shaping deployment, and how equity-sharing with First Nations groups could set a new standard for community benefit. We also look at what Australia’s experience can teach the world about scaling storage and sharing the gains of the clean energy transition fairly.Key topics covered include:• How the Bulable One project is setting new benchmarks for battery storage in Australia.• Why the Integrated System Plan (ISP) positions storage as the backbone of a renewable grid.• What connections reform means for speeding up the pipeline of projects.• How equity-sharing with First Nations communities can shape a fairer energy transition.• What the rest of the world can learn from Australia’s approach to scaling storage and renewables.About our guestAlex Wonhas is CEO of Ampyr Australia, where he is leading the company’s expansion into large-scale renewables and storage across the NEM. With a career spanning system design at the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and senior leadership in global engineering consultancy, Alex brings deep expertise in how to plan, build, and operate complex power systems. For more information on AMPYR, head to their website. About Modo EnergyModo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.All of our interviews are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, conversations, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.