At Australian Energy Week 2025, Renate Vogt, our Executive General Manager Regulation, delivered a powerful message: resilience in the face of climate extremes is not optional - it’s essential. Drawing on years of advocacy, regulatory reform and deep community engagement, her speech outlined how distribution regulation must evolve to meet the expectations of both government and the communities it serves.

A quiet but critical victory

While it may not have made headlines, the recent approval of the resilience rule change by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) and the introduction of the Value of Network Resilience by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) mark a turning point. These reforms allow energy distributors to proactively invest in infrastructure to withstand climate extremes, rather than reacting after disaster strikes. Renate noted, this change was 16 years in the making and driven by persistent industry advocacy and community voices.

Customers expect more from us

CitiPower, Powercor and United Energy conducted extensive engagement programs, including forums and surveys with over 1,700 customers. The message was clear: people want collaborative partnerships to build local resilience, transparent communication during outages, and tailored plans that protect vulnerable communities. Over 70 per cent of customers expressed a willingness to pay more for resilience measures - underscoring the urgency and public support for action.

Investing in resilience

Our proposed five-year investment plans for Powercor and United Energy include two pillars: network hardening and community support. This means

• a reliable, safe and resilient electricity supply

• access to affordable and equitable electricity for everyone

• help to transition towards sustainable energy sources for cleaner future

It also means preparing communities with emergency planning and recovery support. These investments are not just cost-effective - they’re essential to safeguarding lives and livelihoods in an era of escalating climate risk.

The energy transition isn’t just about new technologies - it’s about building trust, listening to communities, and acting with foresight. As Renate Vogt emphasised,

The time to act is now.

Next steps

Visit the Regulatory Reset project page and click +Follow at the top of the page to receive email updates. Stay in the loop about future engagement initiatives and outcomes from the 2026-31 regulatory proposal.