Through our reset engagement program, we have been talking to customers and stakeholders about the opportunities and challenges related to the renewable energy transition. The Customer Energy Futures: Service Level Options Paper is a reflection of the views received and the options we have developed to address the challenges in accommodating new technologies which is changing how and when customers use the electricity grid.

The purpose of this paper is to share and hear from our customers and stakeholders about how they would like to use their customer energy resources (resources that can generate or store power for customers). We recognise we service a wide range of customers hence are especially keen to hear views from our regional and rural customers and customers that may be experiencing vulnerability.

About the Service Level Options Paper: summary of key themes

Below is a summary of the Service Options Paper. We encourage interested stakeholders to download the Customer Energy Futures: Service Level Options Paper to explore the themes in detail. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Customers are driving change

Customers are driving the energy transformation. Customer investments in new technologies, such as rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV), battery technologies, residential or commercial electric vehicles (EV) are changing rapidly how electricity is consumed and generated.

Customer preferences for consumer energy resources and electrification

• Customer rooftop solar PV uptake is expected to more than double over the period 2026-2031
• Electrification of residential and commercial transport will increase exponentially
• Homes and commercial and industrial properties will increasingly be dependent on electricity
• Governments will continue to promote and subsidise new technologies
• We are a key partner in the decarbonisation journey

Network challenges in managing customer energy resources

Facilitating increasing levels of customer energy resources on our networks is a challenge we embrace. We want to be an enabler of the energy transition, not an impediment. Enabling greater connection of CER requires:

• Careful planning of future network demand and capacity
• Providing flexible and adaptive products that provide our customers greater agency
• Applying a range of new and current solutions to enhance network capacity including tariffs, education, flexible connection agreements, community batteries and prudent investment

Options to facilitate customer agency

We have heard the importance to our customers of having greater flexibility and agency in their energy management decisions.

This paper hence focuses on several possible solar PV export and EV charging options. Customer preferences for different types of options will guide the development of our future products and investments.

Six options have been identified for solar PV export. This includes:

• Option one - status quo. We continue approving static solar export connection applications up to 5kW where adequate network capacity is available.
• Option two - capacity driven. Most new customers would receive a 5kW static limit, rather than a 0kW static limit, with support from additional network investment.
• Option three - solar future. Most new solar export connection offers would receive a static export limit of between 2.5-3kW, where capacity is available.
• Option four - fast transition. All new solar export connection offers would be offered static export limits of between 2.5-3kW. Additional network investment would be made to provide additional network hosting capacity in constrained areas.
• Option five - shared capacity. New solar export connection offers would be offered a static export limit equal to the intrinsic hosting capacity (likely to be 1.5kW). Opt-in flexible offerings would enable export levels higher than this when, and where, capacity is available.
• Option six - solar abundance. All new solar export connection offers would be approved with a static export limit equal to the intrinsic hosting capacity (likely to be 1.5kW). Further network investments would be made to unlock additional solar hosting capacity would be based on flexible export performance metrics.

Six options have been identified for EVs. These include:

• Option one - status quo. Customers can connect fast charging infrastructure if capacity is available, but spare capacity would be relatively low. We would not manage customer charging. Network investment would be focused on enabling trickle charging.
• Option two - convenience preference. Customers could connect fast charging infrastructure if capacity is available. We would not manage customer charging. Network investment would be focused on enabling fast EV charging capacity and local power quality improvements.
• Option three - heavy touch. Customers could connect fast charging infrastructure if capacity is available, but the overall amount of fast charging would be somewhat low. This option includes greater visibility of EV chargers through which we would manage charging during peak periods. Network investment would be focused on enabling trickle charging.
• Option four - light touch. Nearly all EV customers would be able to connect fast chargers. This option includes greater visibility of EV chargers through which we would manage charging during peak periods, but not during lower-usage seasons or days. Network investment would be focused on improving capacity to facilitate EV fast charging connections.
• Option five - shared charging. All new EV customers would be able to connect fast chargers. This option includes greater visibility of EV chargers through which we manage charging during peak periods and potentially other times. Network investment would be focused on enabling trickle charging during peak periods.
• Option six - charging abundance. All new EV customers would be able to connect fast chargers. This option includes greater visibility of EV chargers through which we manage charging during critical peak periods. Network investment would focus on improving network capacity to enable fast charging during peak periods.

Promoting agency for key customer groups

Customers experiencing vulnerability

We believe in a fairer energy transition thus are focused on design and providing service solutions that support customers experiencing vulnerability.

We want to ensure that no one is left behind hence our solutions are designed with end users in mind, not the network. Demonstrating affordability and value to our customers are key in this, as well as providing agency to our customers to make their own informed decisions wherever possible.

Through engagement to date, the messages we have heard include:

• We need to help customers help themselves through greater agency
• Balancing affordability and value for all customers
• Recognise we may not always be the best party to assist customers
• Amplify the importance of energy efficiency
• Tailor information and education programs to meet the needs of different communities.