News & insights

We are proud to see CEPA’s work featured in the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water’s (DCCEEW) consultation on 'Defining Roles and Responsibilities for Distribution System and Market Operation'. Our analysis plays a central role in Chapter 4 of the consultation paper, helping inform stakeholder views on whether and how, real-time distribution-level markets might be used to better integrate Consumer Energy Resources (CER) into the energy system.

This consultation paper delivers on priority reforms in the National CER Roadmap, which aims to tackle the challenges of effectively integrating CER into the power system and energy markets.

At the heart of this work, CEPA was engaged by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), on behalf of the CER Taskforce, to develop and assess three market design options that illustrate potential future models for integrating CER at the distribution level. We also considered how the capabilities of distribution-level system or market operators could change as the power system evolves.

As part of this, we looked at the approaches currently used to manage CER at the distribution level to keep the energy system in a secure operating state, and considered whether a market approach could lead to more efficient orchestration of CER and help realise the full benefits it offers, alongside the trade-offs involved.

These insights provide a conceptual foundation for stakeholders to consider whether, when, and under what conditions real-time market arrangements could offer a better solution.

We are pleased to support the CER Taskforce in advancing policy thinking in this space, and we look forward to feedback from industry and consumers as this critical conversation continues.

You can read our report and the consultation paper here.