Anna Cain is an interdisciplinary researcher based in the School for Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at the Collaboration on Energy and Environmental Markets at UNSW Sydney. Her research focuses on the social and political dimensions of sustainability transitions, particularly as negotiated by policy makers, intermediaries and everyday people in energy systems. Her work draws on feminist studies, science and technology studies, critical decolonial theories to examine energy justice. Anna’s research is strengthened by her experience working in renewable energy and community development in Australia and the Asia Pacific region. She held roles with Australian and international renewable energy companies and NGOs such as Engineers Without Borders Australia and Energy Lab Cambodia. Her experience includes dispatching wind farms into the Australia’s electricity markets, developing renewable and battery energy projects, securing ARENA grants for large-scale renewable energy deployment, supporting communities to engage in energy efficiency and generation projects and capability strengthening and advocacy towards the development of Cambodia’s renewable energy sector. She is committed to shaping engineering and renewable energy sectors to serve the needs of society in a just and inclusive way. She has contributed to the development of the industry through including as Chair of the Clean Energy Council’s Utility Solar Directorate and Policy and Advocacy Committee member, founded UNSW’s WIRE – Women in Renewable Energy and Program Lead for Engineers Without Borders Australia’s school outreach program which reaches approximately 20,000 school students engineering workshops each year.
Anna is a non-Indigenous Australian. She grew up on Dunghatti Country and currently lives and works on the lands of the Bedegal and Gadigal Peoples.