SA Power Networks highlights DSO vision at EN26 conference
SA Power Networks highlighted its leadership in Australia's clean energy transition, outlining its vision as a future Distribution System Operator (DSO) at Energy Networks Australia's EN26 conference last month.
Strong presence at EN26 in Adelaide
SA Power Networks had a substantial and visible presence at the conference at the Adelaide Convention Centre on 18 and 19 March, with no less than 12 different people – including Chief Executive Officer Andrew Bills, Chief Operating Officer Mark Vincent and Chief Customer & Strategy Officer Jessica Morris – contribute through presentations and panel discussions.
We also had an impressive six-metre-wide installation that greeted visitors as they arrived. This booth featured a live demonstration of both current and future DSO capabilities, sparking significant interest and discussion.
CEO Andrew Bills said it was fantastic to see SA Power Networks represented so well by people from across the organisation.
“It was great to once again be part of EN26 and show people what’s going on in South Australia and how we’re supporting the energy transition while keeping the system stable and power flowing safely and reliably,” he said.
Highlights video from the event
From DNSP to DSO: Meeting an evolving energy system
As South Australia continues to record world-leading levels of rooftop solar and home battery adoption, SA Power Networks is accelerating the evolution from a traditional Distribution Network Service Provider (DNSP) to a fully integrated DSO.
Traditionally, DNSPs manage poles, wires and substations. We forecast demand, build out the network, and we keep the lights on. But the job is getting bigger, with our network now home to the largest sources of generation and storage that South Australia has ever seen – rooftop solar and home batteries.
Picture: Andrew Bills speaks at EN26 during a panel discussion.
In his presentation Progressing our DSO Journey, Andrew said SA Power Networks had three goals in doing in making the switch from DNSP to DSO:
- Supply electricity to our customers at the lowest cost possible
- Keep that supply reliable
- Decarbonise as fast as we can.
“Being a DSO is all about working with our customers to unlock the full system-wide value of what they’ve already invested in,” Andrew said.
“Our goal is simple – we want to realise the lowest cost version of the energy transition."
Putting customers at the centre of the energy transition
“We know that the lowest cost source of electricity comes from customer energy resources – CER – like rooftop solar and home batteries. We want our customers to treat their energy like their fruit and veg – grow their own if they can, buy local if they can't.
Andrew, who is also at Energy Networks Australia’s chair, said the shift brings challenges – but more importantly, it brings opportunities.
“Opportunities for us to work with our customers, to support them as they adopt new technology, and to use that technology to deliver a more efficient energy transition.”
He called for national action in four key areas:
- Embedding CER into long term system planning
- Enabling DNSPs to operate as DSOs through improved regulation
- Delivering nationally legislated inverter interoperability standards
- Creating customer-centric pricing that rewards flexibility.
“The resources are there, on roofs and in backyards – our job is to make sure that they’re working as hard as they can, and that customers are getting the benefit,” he said.
“This is a story about customers, but they can’t write it alone. We need the whole industry to come together and back the true leaders of this transition – the customer. We’re showing how it can be done – and we’re asking everyone to come along with us.
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