Felicity Jane Curran Underhill is a New Zealand energy specialist, and has experience working in the oil, gas and hydrogen industries in Australia and New Zealand. In 2024 Underhill was appointed to the New Zealand Climate Change Commission.

Education

Underhill is Māori, and affiliates to

Ngāti Raukawa Ngāti Raukawa is a Māori iwi (tribe) with traditional bases in the Waikato, Taupō and Manawatū/ Horowhenua regions of New Zealand. In 2006, 29,418 Māori registered their affiliation with Ngāti Raukawa. History Early history Ngāti ...

. Underhill has a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and Power (social and political), power, and the analysis of political activities, political philosophy, political thought, polit ...

from

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington (), also known by its shorter names "VUW" or "Vic", is a public university, public research university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of New Zealand Parliament, Parliament, and w ...

and a Master of Arts degree in internal relations and conflict resolution from the

Brussels School of International Studies The University of Kent's Brussels School of International Studies was a specialised postgraduate school offering international studies in Brussels, Brussels, Belgium. There are approximately 220 postgraduate students pursuing degrees at the schoo ...

at the

University of Kent The University of Kent (formerly the University of Kent at Canterbury, abbreviated as UKC) is a Collegiate university, collegiate public university, public research university based in Kent, United Kingdom. The university was granted its roya ...

. Her thesis was on the peace process in Bougainville.

Career

Underhill has worked in the oil and gas industries in Australia and New Zealand for more than twenty years. She worked for

Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses Science Biology * Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...

for ten years, and was then General Manager of Future Fuels at

Origin Energy Origin Energy Ltd is an ASX listed public company with headquarters in Sydney. It is a major integrated electricity generator, and electricity and natural gas retailer. It operates Eraring Power Station, Australia's largest coal-fired power ...

. Underhill worked on hydrogen production for Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), a part of the Fortescue mining company. She was Director East Australia and New Zealand for FFI, and led Fortescue's investigations into producing "

green hydrogen Green hydrogen (GH2 or GH2) is hydrogen produced by the electrolysis of water, using renewable electricity. Production of green hydrogen causes significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions than production of grey hydrogen, which is derived fr ...

" at

Marsden point Marsden Point is a broad, flat peninsula that is the southern head of the Whangārei Harbour entrance on the east coast of Northland Region, Northland, New Zealand, southeast of the city of Whangārei. It is the location of Marsden Point Oil R ...

oil refinery. Underhill was director and deputy chair of the Australian Hydrogen Council. In March 2024 she was appointed as a director of Channel Infrastructure, which operates New Zealand largest fuel import terminal. In December 2024 Underhill was appointed to the New Zealand Climate Change Commission, alongside forestry and conservation advisor Devon McLean, and new Chief Commissioner

Patsy Reddy Dame Patricia Lee Reddy (born 17 May 1954) is a New Zealand lawyer and businesswoman who served as the 21st governor-general of New Zealand from 2016 to 2021. Before becoming governor-general, Reddy was a partner of a law firm, headed a majo ...

. Underhill was considered to bring expertise in decarbonisation of energy, and transport industries.

References

External links

*
Fortescue: Dr Andrew Forrest and Felicity Underhill: Decarbonisation and green energy
', Murihiku Regeneration Science and Innovation Wānanga, 8 Dec 2021 {{DEFAULTSORT:Underhill, Felicity Victoria University of Wellington alumni Alumni of the University of Kent Energy in New Zealand Ngāti Raukawa people