Australia Govt: Smart solar reforms will inject more clean energy into the grid

The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has finalised reforms to get more small-scale solar into the grid. These reforms will support the uptake of batteries and electric vehicles.

Tough new obligations will see power companies making their networks ‘smarter’. They will now be accountable for getting their businesses solar and battery friendly so everyone benefits.

A key part of the changes is removing the companies’ ability to put blanket bans on customers sending solar energy back to the grid.

The reform package also means power networks can offer several options, including a basic free service. Companies will encourage solar owners to limit solar waste, save money and benefit the grid.

The reforms will see more customers benefit from solar, put downward pressure on electricity prices and help decarbonise the energy sector faster.

‘These new measures to drive smart solar are fundamental to enabling a modern electricity grid that delivers out to 2030 and beyond,’ AEMC Chair Anna Collyer said.

‘They represent a profound change to the way poles and wires businesses must think about how they manage their network and turn the current one-way street delivering power to people’s homes into two-way super-highway where energy flows in both directions.’

The reforms acknowledge that Australia has the fastest rate of solar take-up in the world. They address concerns that without action the grid will be unable to handle solar input, expected to double over the next decade.