Clare Paynter is a senior electrical engineer with broad experience spanning energy markets, remote‑area renewable systems, and major generation assets. She began her career in Australia’s Northern Territory, gaining hands‑on experience integrating renewables into remote diesel mini‑grids and supporting sustainable energy projects within Darwin’s utility sector.
Clare later joined the Australian Energy Market Operator’s highly structured graduate programme, working across market operations during a period marked by significant system events, including the South Australian blackout and Tasmania’s energy supply crisis. The experience cemented her focus on complex system reliability and the evolving role of engineering in a transforming electricity sector.
Now based in Christchurch, Clare is a senior electrical engineer at Meridian Energy specialising in asset management and major project planning across the hydro portfolio, including upgrades to excitation, protection, and circuit‑breaker systems at the Ōhau power stations. She is committed to embedding engineering insight early in project design to improve resilience, cost control, and long‑term operational performance.