The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has drafted a rule change to allow more distributed energy resources (DER) onto the grid, a move which has been welcomed by Energy Networks Australia (ENA).

ENA chief executive Andrew Dillon says the draft decision recognises changing customer needs and the shift to a more renewable, smart energy grid.

“Customers are rapidly adopting DER like rooftop solar and batteries and that is changing the role of distribution networks,” he says.

“The AEMC’s draft decision will help networks support the increasing number of customers who want to connect solar and export their energy into the grid.”

He adds that without changes to how the DER is managed, the ongoing growth in solar means networks would increasingly need to restrict power exports or even block solar connections to prevent voltage spikes or even local blackouts.

“This rule change will incentivise networks to invest in a smarter grid that can better support a two-way flow of electricity as more customers both consume and export electricity,” he explains.