The Energy Efficiency Council (EEC) has welcomed SA Power Networks as the first electricity network to step up as an Industry Leader member to advance collaboration on customer flexibility, demand optimisation and system efficiency.
EEC Industry Leader membership is open to organisations that demonstrate a deep commitment to accelerating Australia’s transition to an efficient, electric and flexible energy system. As an industry leader, members play a pivotal role by engaging in the EEC’s strategic agenda, supporting cross-sector collaboration, and championing the acceleration of demand side opportunities that will underpin a prosperous, net-zero Australia.
SA Power Networks joined the EECl as a member in 2024 and has since worked closely with the council and its members to strengthen the national conversation around demand-side participation, energy efficiency and electrification.
From advocating for a greater focus on consumers and their resources in the energy system, to demonstrating the real-world benefits of demand flexibility, SA Power Networks has been at the forefront of showing how networks can enable a resilient and affordable energy transition.
SA Power Networks Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Bills, said becoming an Industry Leader within the Energy Efficiency Council was a natural next step for the company.
“The Energy Efficiency Council’s growing influence in advocating for smarter, more efficient energy use aligns directly with our own mission – to deliver a simpler, fairer and more sustainable energy system for customers,” Mr Bills said.
“We see enormous potential in working across sectors to accelerate customer participation in the energy system – not just as consumers, but as active contributors to a secure and reliable system.”
Mr Bills said the release of the EEC’s Efficient Electric Homes Market Acceleration Plan was a tipping point for SA Power Networks.
“Its focus on practical, customer-centric electrification mirrors our own efforts to unlock demand-side flexibility and reduce system costs for all South Australians,” he said.
SA Power Networks’ Flexible Exports program has already shown how customer flexibility in supply can be unlocked. Building on that, the Energy Masters project is now exploring flexibility on the demand side – enabling customers, through automation and incentives, to shift how and when they use energy.
Together, SA Power Networks said that these initiatives are demonstrating what ‘flexible connections’ really mean in practice: a system where customer technology and network capability work hand-in-hand to deliver lower costs, higher reliability, and a smoother path to net zero.
EEC Chief Executive Officer, Luke Menzel, said the council’s work on energy system optimisation focuses on areas that make a big difference to the efficient operation of distribution networks.
“We’re effectively managing peak demand, enabling flexibility that responds to local grid conditions, and helping customers actively participate in the energy system,” Mr Menzel said.
“SA Power Network’s decision to step up their membership to be an Industry Leader underscores that shared ambition with us and recognises the critical role that networks can play in enabling an efficient, electrified and decarbonised future.”
Mr Bills said the role of networks is changing fast, with companies no longer just asset managers but needing to optimise a complex system of technologies that are interconnected but distributed across homes and businesses around the state.
“Our success will depend on how well we integrate and optimise customer technologies as part of the broader energy system,” he said.
“Energy efficiency isn’t just about what happens behind the meter – it’s about how the entire system, from homes to substations, works together in real time to deliver value.”
Mr Bills said this requires stronger collaboration with partners like the EEC and others advocating across the demand side.
“The future will be about optimising investment on both the demand and supply sides of the system – capitalising on non-network solutions wherever they deliver better outcomes for customers, the market, and the network itself,” he said.
“That’s how we’ll keep energy reliable, affordable and sustainable for all.”
