Resilient Network Investment Framework: workshop wrap-up and survey

The impacts of climate change on electricity supply and distribution are significant and increasing, as demonstrated by recent flooding and storm events across Victoria. In response, distributors need to prioritise investment that builds and maintains a resilient network for the future.

As part of this response, Victorian distributors are developing a Resilient Network Investment Framework to provide structure, guidance, principles and criteria for resilience investment decision-making for the 2026-2031 period.

In October 2023, we teamed up with AusNet, CitiPower, Jemena and United Energy to host a Resilient Network Investment Framework customer workshop.

Over 70 participants representing 40 organisation including local councils, emergency services, business and community groups came together to help shape the development of joint resilience investment principles to underpin the Framework. Engaging with our customer and stakeholders will help us make more balanced and informed decisions that align with customer preferences.

What we heard

The workshop was an opportunity for stakeholders to share their knowledge and experiences of energy resilience issues. Some key themes emerged from the discussions:

• Investment and cost sharing – Some participants raised concerns around equity issues involved in “propping up” or building resilience in climate-exposed communities through raised tariffs across the entire network, whilst other participants sought for investment costs to be offset by savings elsewhere.
  
  
• Communication – Many participants suggested both proactive and reactive measures are needed to build network and community resilience, including better pre-emptive communication of potential outages and more social media coverage and real-time data shared during events. Specific engagement with CALD and First Nations communities was recommended to assess their specific communication and engagement needs.
  
  
• Back-up and relief measures – Battery backup in neighbourhoods and at critical emergency locations and faster deployment of dispatchable backup generators were raised as possible measures to improve customers’ experience before, during and after power outages.
  
  
• Infrastructure protection and recovery – The impact to electricity infrastructure as a result of extreme events and power outages emerged as a key theme, with recommendations to prioritise the protection and restoration of critical infrastructure, particularly fuel stations, throughout each stage of an outage.
  
  
• Coordination and collaboration – Enhanced coordination and collaboration between distributors, service providers, councils, customers and communities, between who building community resilience is a shared responsibility, was raised by stakeholders.
  
  
• Community resilience – Discussions centred around a need for greater preparedness, connectedness, customer engagement and sensitivity to vulnerable communities as climate impacts and extreme weather events become more prevalent.

Download the workshop report to learn more about the workshop's findings.

Next steps

The Resilient Network Investment Framework will be finalised over the coming months, before the draft regulatory proposals are submitted to the Australian Energy Regulator in August 2024.