Hedda Ransan Cooper

Hedda Ransan Cooper is a Research Fellow at the Australian National University (ANU), leading the social science program within the Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program (BSGIP). Her work focuses on energy transitions, environmental sociology, and sustainability, emphasizing transdisciplinary collaboration. Dr. Cooper holds a PhD from ANU (2013) and a BSc (Environment/Sustainability) with First Class Honours from ANU (2007). She has also served as a research fellow at the University of Canberra (2016–2017).

Her research explores socio-political dimensions of energy transitions, including community/neighbourhood batteries, public perceptions of energy technologies, and justice in renewable transitions. Current projects include the Neighbourhood Battery Initiative, Southcoast u-grids Reliability Feasibility (SuRF), and Project Converge. She emphasizes inclusive outcomes and co-benefits in sustainability innovations.

Dr. Cooper’s work spans energy justice, grid resilience, and democratic practices in environmental governance. Her studies include trials on Bruny Island, fleet vehicle-to-grid systems, and microgrid site selection. She is committed to understanding and mitigating conflicts arising from energy infrastructure deployment, such as value conflicts in battery initiatives.

She has no listed scientific awards but is actively involved in policy-oriented research and public engagement. Her advising focuses on socio-political aspects of energy transitions, and she collaborates widely across academia and industry to advance sustainable grid solutions.