The Morrison Government is supporting a Distributed Energy Resources (DER) Marketplace trial project in which households and businesses will be able to buy and sell electricity and grid services through the wholesale electricity market.

Based in north eastern Victoria, Project Edge will create a real-life wholesale marketplace to buy and sell electricity from rooftop solar, household batteries, electric vehicles and smart appliances.

While these technologies are transforming our energy system and helping to reduce emissions, rapid uptake is impacting how the grid is managed and this trial will address current limitations of our existing market frameworks.

The trial will initially involve 50 houses but will scale up to around 1,000 residential, commercial and industrial electricity customers.

Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction Angus Taylor said the trial will help to reduce electricity costs and manage challenges associated with a decentralised grid. 

“This microgrid project gives control back to the consumer,” Minister Taylor said.

“As more and more people install rooftop solar and smart energy appliances in their homes and businesses, it is important to find the best way of managing the new technologies to ensure the grid and electricity supplies remain reliable.

“If successful, the project will become a model for integrating DER into the National Electricity Market.”

The Government has provided $12.9 million in funding to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to become a partner in the $28 million project, alongside electricity network AustNet Services and retailer Mondo Power.

The ARENA funding will support the development of market software and systems to underpin the integration of distributed energy resources in the grid.

ARENA funding has previously supported more than $100 million of distributed energy resources projects.

Media contact:

Minister Taylor's office: 02 6277 7120