According to the latest report from Energy Consumers Australia (ECA), a dedicated and enduring national body is needed to oversee the coordination of the role of consumer energy resources (CER) in the national electricity market (NEM).
The Opportunities for CER Participation in Grid Services and Load Management report, commissioned from Rennie Advisory by Energy Consumers Australia, outlines ways to increase CER participation in the wholesale market to effectively provide grid services within the NEM.
These include establishing an independent national body with adequate powers to set targets for CER and coordinate reforms to existing NEM processes that will lower barriers to CER participation.
The report also highlighted other benefits of CER participation, which include improved energy security and reduced pressures on vulnerable consumers, and will form part of ECA’s submission to the ongoing NEM Wholesale Market Settings Review.
ECA CEO, Brendan French said that there are significant potential benefits of CER which, with the right market and regulatory settings, would flow to all consumers through lower system costs and cheaper electricity prices.
“We must ensure consumers have the support they need to adopt the CER required for a least-cost energy system and address the barriers so that everyone can access and benefit from investing in these products,” Dr French said.
“Maximising the value CER brings to the system will help unlock the greatest benefits for all consumers, including people without the capacity to invest and participate in the market. We need a national body to drive the strategy for this and ensure all consumers benefit.”
The report also recommends implementing targeted reforms including lowering participation thresholds in line with international markets, and modernising metering and telemetry rules and standards.
The Opportunities for CER Participation in Grid Services and Load Management report was compiled with involvement from various stakeholders including market bodies, DNSPs, specialist CER/demand response aggregators, peak industry bodies and independent experts.
