The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) is proposing to modernize its distribution network planning, which it says will help to lower curtailment of rooftop solar.
A draft rule released earlier this week proposes to replace the existing distribution annual planning report with a distribution network plan. The plan would be published every five years covering a 20-year timeframe, with distribution network service providers also required to provide concise annual updates.
The commission is also planning to establish a new framework for distribution network data reporting. It says that with rooftop solar, batteries and electric vehicles transforming the distribution networks, in turn creating both opportunities for consumers and challenges for the grid, planning needs to be backed by clearer, more accessible data on how and where these technologies are being used.
Chair of the commission, Anna Collyer, said the reform will give decision-makers across the energy system better information to act earlier.
“With detailed visibility of where solar, batteries and electric vehicles are emerging, distributed network service providers and investors can plan ahead through targeted upgrades or non-network solutions,” Collyer said. “That means fewer constraints, less curtailment of rooftop solar, and ultimately more efficient investment decisions that flow onto everyone’s power bills.”
The draft rule also proposes to boost visibility of the low-voltage network, which the commission says will help identify the best stops to install electric vehicle chargers and community batteries.
AEMC is now seeking stakeholder feedback, with submissions due by 4 June, before publishing a final determination and rule later this year.
The planned reform comes as the rollout of rooftop solar in Australia accelerates, with recent analysis finding Australia’s rooftop solar market surged 19% last month as consumers race to take advantage of battery subsidies.
A report by the Clean Energy Council found the capacity of Australia’s rooftop solar fleet reached 28.3 GW by the end of last year, with approximately 4.3 million installations across the country. Rooftop solar’s contribution to Australia’s total electricity generation reached 14.2% in the second half of the year of 2025, up from 13.4% in the same period the previous year.
In January, AEMC permitted virtual power plants to compete directly with large-scale generators in Australia’s energy market from 2027.
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