The NSW Government Department of Planning Industry and Environment is currently consulting on developing solutions to barriers customers and businesses face in the energy sector transition.

AGL made a formal submission to the consultation, a copy of which is available here.

AGL supports the NSW Government’s leadership role in providing a pathway to deploying technologies at scale over the coming decade for the benefit of all energy consumers. We welcome the intent of the Department to identify reforms to improve customer access to and uptake of new energy and innovation, including smart meters, solar PV inverters, batteries, EV charging infrastructure, flexible demand management and virtual power plant services. We also welcome the Department’s exploration to improve energy customers’ digital journey and their interaction with the NSW Government as a means of enabling government to lead the way to improve customer protections, experience and engagement.

We provide a range of recommendations in our formal submission to support the NSW’s Government’s policy objectives, including with respect to:

• Accelerating smart meter deployment
• Supporting the integration of distributed energy resources into Australia’s energy market system
• Transitioning towards dynamic export limits and dynamic operating envelopes
• Improving quality, standards and compliance of DER assets
• Improving the visibility of residential DER and data management
• Developing a policy approach to community batteries that supports equity of access to new technologies whilst ensuring economically efficient outcomes
• Supporting the deployment of EV charging equipment in apartment buildings
• Supporting the deployment of stand-alone power systems in an economically efficient manner
• Developing a program that enables customers to compare the emissions performance of energy retailers more easily
• Updating the life support rebate settings to ensure they remain fit-for-purpose