We’re developing smarter and more cost-effective ways to manage occasional demand spikes on the electricity network.
‘Traffic jams’ on the network can sometimes happen when demand for electricity is higher than available supply. This happens around 10 times a year, usually for a couple of hours in the late afternoon and evenings in summer.
Customer-led solutions to manage peak demand within communities is more cost-effective than building more poles and wires.
We want to partner with our customers and communities to develop flexible solutions that can be activated during occasional peak demand events. In return, participating organisations will receive financial incentives and financial support to help with connection charges.
Who can participate in our Demand Response Program?
The Program is suitable for community energy groups (e.g. groups with community batteries) and large customers, such as businesses and councils.
We’re inviting customer-led solutions, with our lowest ever entry point at just 200kW per site or in aggregate.
Participants must have their solution located on one of six feeders, including these locations:
| Avenel (SMR24) | Benalla (BN11) |
| Drouin (WGL11) |
Euroa (BN11) |
| Kalkallo (KLO14) |
Korumburra (LGA12) |
| Leongatha (LGA12) |
Moe (MOE23) |
| Nagambie (SMR24) |
Newborough (MOE23) |
| Poowong (LGA12) |
Seymour (SMR24) |
| Violet Town (BN11) |
Warragul (WGL11) |
What are the incentives?
Demand Response participants can access up to $147,000 in guaranteed income each year for five years plus up to $200,000 towards connection charges if their solution meets our full requirements. Financial support depends on the scope and impact of your proposal.
Possible customer-led solutions
Types of innovative solutions include:
- Solar and battery systems:
- community battery and/or a number of aggregated or co-ordinated community batteries
- solar farm with solar batteries
- major customers with solar panels and battery and/or several large customers on the same feeder who can provide a co-ordinated demand response via a retailer
- Virtual Power Plant where the household batteries can be co-ordinated by the retailer to respond to the demand response signal.
- Load reduction – for example, a:
- major customer who can reduce their electricity usage for up to 2 hours – with around 18 hours’ notice
- couple of hundred residential customers on a feeder participating in a Virtual Power Plant via a retailer, where their load can be co-ordinated to respond with a load reduction.
- Generation export.
- Power factor correction.
- Air conditioning and hot water load control.
Learn more and apply
Register for our webinar to learn more about this exciting project:
Date: Tuesday 3 February, 2026
Time: 2-3pm
If you’d like to discuss your ideas before submitting our proposal, email us at gridevolution@ausnetservices.com.au.
Submit your proposal using the template on our website.
Proposals are due 31 March 2026.