Michael Swanston
Independent consulting at the intersection of power systems engineering, utility regulation and meeting customer and community energy needs.
I support electricity networks, regulators, and government agencies on complex technical, commercial, and regulatory issues arising from market reform, price controls, and the rapid growth of distributed energy resources - all with a stromg focus on customers.
Advisory services
Practical support at the intersection of utility engineering, economic regulation, and customer outcomes; with a focus on efficient and effective investment, resilient operations, and powerful consultation and engagement.
Regulatory resets and determinations
Independent review and challenge of capital and operating programs, forecasting, incentives, risk allocation, service performance, and consumer value propositions.
Network investment governance
Assurance, prioritisation, and decision frameworks for prudent, efficient investment — aligned to reliability, safety, resilience, and affordability objectives.
Technical regulation and compliance
Support on standards, codes, connection frameworks, and compliance audits — including distributed generation integration, power quality, and operational performance.
Storm response and resilience reviews
Independent reviews of emergency management performance and resilience capability, including learnings, readiness, and improvement programs.
Statement of experience and capability
Over forty years across the Australian and international electricity sectors, spanning senior executive leadership, economic and technical regulation, power system operations, asset management, and investment governance.
Regulatory and advisory experience
- Member, AER Customer Challenge Panel — advising on transmission and distribution revenue determinations, risk allocation, service performance, and consumer outcomes.
- Advisor and independent reviewer for regulatory resets, providing technical and consumer-focused scrutiny of proposals.
- Chair/member of utility reset advisory panels — challenging and advising on capex/opex, demand forecasting, pricing, innovation governance, and stakeholder engagement.
- Contributor to customer-facing frameworks for renewable and distributed energy integration, including standards for inverters, power quality, and connections.
Technical and system expertise
- Network planning and operations, asset management, and performance.
- Resilience and emergency response capability reviews.
- Voltage and technical standards change programs for high-PV penetration networks.
- Distribution code review and embedded generation connection frameworks.
International and cross-sector assurance
Regulatory compliance and performance audit experience includes electricity transmission/distribution reviews (Malaysia) and multi-disciplinary compliance and quality audits (United Arab Emirates) across electricity, water, telecommunications, and civil aviation. Contributed to Asian Development Bank workshops on utility technical regulation.
Customer advocacy and governance
Established and led a Customer Advocate function to embed consumer perspectives into service delivery, market operations, and regulatory engagement during periods of industry change. Board-level governance experience supports robust decision-making, transparency, and accountability.
Credentials and registrations
Professional standing and registration details (as provided).
Engineers Australia — National Engineering Register
- Credentials: BE (hons) FIEAust CPEng NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus) MAICD
- Areas of practice: Electrical Engineering; Leadership and Management
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Engineering (Electrical, Honours) — University of Queensland
- Graduate Diploma in Business Management — Deakin University
- Fellow, Engineers Australia
- Member, Australian Institute of Company Directors
Thought leadership
Contributing author to energy sector publications addressing regulatory efficiency, digitalisation, decentralised networks, flexible demand, and variable generation.
Contact
For enquiries regarding regulatory assurance, network investment governance, or technical regulation support, please contact me directly through LinkedIn.