Post by Australian Energy Regulator

Today, at Australian Energy Week 2026, AER Board member Lynne Gallagher joined a panel discussion on the role of innovation, technology and customer participation in unlocking greater value from Australia's electricity networks. Lynne spoke about how the conversation around networks is often framed around rising demand, increasing network costs and growing uptake of consumer energy resources. While this story is not wrong, she noted that it tends to focus on infrastructure and assets rather than the people who use the energy system. A key theme of her remarks was that the shift that matters is not just better utilisation, but greater flexibility. Rather than asking how to maximise the use of network assets, flexibility asks how we can reshape when and how energy is used and generated so existing capacity goes further. That means putting households and businesses at the centre of the conversation. With people at the centre, Lynne argued that the biggest challenge is not technology, but coordination. She noted that historically, successful demand coordination has been simple for customers, delivered clear benefits and been designed around people's lives. Looking ahead, she discussed the opportunity to extend this approach to EVs, batteries and other smart devices, using a grid that has the data, visibility of local conditions and speed to promote flexibility, optimise the use of the network and deliver real value to customers. #AustralianEnergyWeek2026 #ElectricityNetworks