Werther Esposito is the CEO of Potentia Energy, a Sydney‑based renewable‑energy platform jointly owned by Italy’s Enel Green Power and Japan’s INPEX. Leading the business since January 2021, he has steered its evolution from Enel Green Power Australia into the locally branded Potentia Energy, launched in December 2024.
Under his leadership, Potentia has become one of Australia’s more significant renewables platforms, with a development pipeline of roughly 7 gigawatts (GW) of wind, solar, and battery storage projects and a portfolio of more than 1 GW of renewable assets, including both operational plants and late‑stage projects. This combination of scale, ambition, and social‑impact positions Esposito and Potentia as central players in shaping how Australia powers homes, industries, and data‑intensive infrastructure into the 2030s.
The Energy Challenge Australia Faces
Australia’s National Electricity Market still depends heavily on aging coal‑fired power stations, even as electricity demand rises from electrified transport, industry, and digital infrastructure. At the same time, federal and state governments have set binding net‑zero and renewable‑energy targets, creating pressure to deploy large volumes of clean‑power capacity quickly and reliably.
This creates a complex mix of technical, commercial, and social challenges: how to connect utility‑scale wind, solar, and battery‑storage projects without overloading the grid, while ensuring affordability and community acceptance. Potentia Energy, under Esposito, addresses this by acting as an integrated developer‑owner‑operator that aligns technical execution, commercial strategy, and community engagement under one coherent model.
Werther Esposito: Background and Role
Werther Esposito is CEO of Potentia Energy, a joint‑venture entity equally owned by Enel Green Power and Japan’s INPEX. He took the helm in January 2021 and has overseen the company’s branding and strategic repositioning as Potentia Energy since December 2024.
Esposito joined the Enel Group in 2010, working across international mergers and acquisitions before leading Enel Green Power’s business‑development activities in North Africa and the Middle East and later serving as Managing Director of Enel Green Power in Morocco. Before Enel, he worked in business‑development roles for the Italian public sector and private companies, as well as on projects linked to the United Nations’ sustainable‑development framework.
He holds a Master of Business Administration (Executive) from Bocconi Business School of Management, a Bachelor of International Relations from the University of Trieste, and extensive post‑graduate qualifications in corporate finance, renewable energy, and sustainable development from Harvard Kennedy School and Columbia Business School. He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, reflecting his focus on governance in capital‑intensive sectors.
Personal Drive and Core Values
Esposito’s motivation stems from a conviction that large‑scale energy infrastructure must generate both strong financial returns and measurable social benefit. His background in international relations, public‑sector business development, and global renewables has shaped a mindset that treats energy projects as long‑term social contracts, not one‑off transactions.
He has emphasised that community engagement is not an add‑on but a core part of project success, describing Potentia’s 2025 Community Value and Impact Award (from the Clean Energy Council, for collaboration with the Girgarre community on a solar‑farm project) as particularly meaningful because it recognises how the company works with local people, not just beside them. Esposito’s broader aim is to build a platform that delivers long‑term value for global investors, strengthens regional economies, and supports Australia’s decarbonisation goals while maintaining high environmental and social‑governance standards.
Building Potentia Energy from the Ground Up
Potentia Energy’s origins lie in Enel Green Power’s 2017 entry into Australia, with the acquisition of the 275 MW Bungala Solar Farm near Port Augusta, South Australia. From that base, the company expanded into a broad portfolio of wind, solar, storage, and hybrid projects across multiple states, alongside retail and trading activities.
In September 2023, Enel Green Power sold 50 percent of Enel Green Power Australia to INPEX, creating a joint‑venture structure with Enel Green Power and INPEX each holding 50 percent. The company then launched the Potentia Energy brand in December 2024, marking a new phase as a local Australian‑owned platform backed by two global energy groups.
Under Esposito, Potentia has built an integrated value‑chain model: it develops, constructs, and operates renewable‑energy plants (including grid‑scale battery storage) and supplies that power through its own retail and trading operations. In 2025, the company secured access rights to the 1 GW Tallawang Solar Hybrid project (500 MW solar plus 500 MW / 1 GWh battery storage) and completed the acquisition of a portfolio of more than 1 GW of renewable assets, including around 700 MW of operational wind and solar projects and more than 430 MW of late‑stage developments.
Navigating Challenges and Driving Growth
Turning Enel Green Power Australia into a joint‑venture entity under the Potentia brand brought several technical and strategic challenges. Esposito has had to align Enel’s global renewables expertise with INPEX’s deep Australian energy experience, while also adapting to Australia’s fragmented regulatory environment and long grid‑connection queues.
At the same time, community expectations around jobs, land use, and cultural heritage are rising, requiring a disciplined, community‑centred approach to project siting and engagement. Under Esposito’s leadership, Potentia has focused on projects with strong grid‑access prospects, long‑term customer relationships, and embedded environmental and social‑governance criteria.
The company now owns or operates multiple large‑scale assets, including:
Bungala 1 & 2 Solar Farm (220 MWac) near Port Augusta, South Australia.
Cohuna Solar Farm (27 MWac) in Victoria.
Girgarre Solar Farm (76 MWac) in Victoria.
Flat Rocks Stage 1 Wind Farm (75.6 MWac) in Western Australia.
Hybrids such as Quorn Park (80 MWac solar with 40 MWh battery storage) further illustrate Potentia’s focus on modern, flexible generation.
These projects, together with a 7 GW development pipeline and a 1 GW asset acquisition in 2025, position Potentia as one of the more significant renewables platforms in Australia.
Industry Expertise and Strategic Vision
Esposito combines a deep technical understanding of power generation, storage, and wholesale‑market trading with a strategic‑level grasp of infrastructure‑investor expectations. His academic background in international relations, corporate finance, and renewable energy, along with governance training from the Australian Institute of Company Directors, supports a long‑term view that balances risk, returns, and impact.
His vision is for Potentia Energy to become a vertically‑integrated renewables champion that can deliver secure, low‑cost, fully renewable‑sourced power across Australia. The company’s integrated model, from development and construction to operation and retail, allows Potentia to capture value at multiple stages and offer customers predictable, low‑carbon power contracts.
Beyond Australia, INPEX is leveraging lessons from Potentia to inform its own renewable‑energy strategy in Japan and Southeast Asia, effectively positioning Esposito’s platform as a test case for global‑local collaboration in energy transition.
Leadership Style and Company Culture
Werther Esposito leads with a blend of global‑scale pragmatism and local‑scale engagement. Internally, he emphasises collaboration, transparency, and long‑term value creation, aligning with Potentia’s stated values of Collaboration, Authenticity, Responsibility, and Excellence. Externally, he is a visible advocate for Australia’s energy transition, regularly speaking at industry events such as the Australian Clean Energy Summit and serving on the board of the Clean Energy Investor Group.
Esposito also champions a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, pushing Potentia to stay ahead of market dynamics rather than simply reacting to them. His leadership style is calm, analytical, and long‑term‑oriented, reflecting his experience in navigating complex international transactions and regulatory environments.
The Road Ahead for Potentia Energy
Looking forward, Esposito’s agenda is closely tied to Australia’s decarbonisation timetable. He is steering Potentia through a decade‑long buildout of wind, solar, and battery storage, while strengthening the company’s commercial and retail‑customer base. The goal is not only to expand generating capacity but also to deepen relationships with communities, grid operators, and corporate and industrial buyers that need long‑term, low‑carbon power agreements.
In this way, Esposito is less a conventional CEO and more a shaper of Australia’s future energy architecture. With a clear mission, a 7 GW pipeline, and a robust integrated model, Potentia Energy under his leadership is positioned to become one of the defining platforms in Australia’s clean‑energy future.
