ARENA is providing $500,000 of support to the Clean Energy Council to carry out the first stage of a project to future proof Australia’s energy system and improve the electricity grid to support the growth of clean energy.
The way Australians use and generate electricity is changing. Successfully integrating renewable energy into Australia’s electricity grids is a major challenge and opportunity. This project seeks to bring together all the major players to develop a roadmap that leads to a more flexible and resilient electricity distribution industry for the current and future needs of energy consumers and producers.
The Clean Energy Council will be collaborating and consulting with industry, government, regulators and consumers, and commissioning technical, economic and regulatory analysis.
Improving the way the electricity industry interacts with distributed generation, demand management, storage and the associated new technologies will address many of the challenges facing the continued growth of renewable energy. These new arrangements aim to facilitate increased investment in renewable energy throughout Australia. This may eventually open up the electricity market to new entrants, making Australia a more attractive investment destination and allowing households to take control of their power use.
The first stage of the future proofing project is due to be completed mid-2015.
