The Australian Renewable Energy Agency will provide $250,000 in support for the development of new locally-based renewable energy projects, according to the agency's announcement on Monday.
Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) CEO Ivor Frischknecht said the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) will conduct studies, consultations and virtual trials to investigate more flexible tariffs and charges and potentially make upgrade changes to the National Electricity Market (NEM).
Frischknecht said that the current NEM rules were formed at a time when centralized generation was the norm and local generation was the exception.
'UTS will work with local councils such as the city of Sydney, energy retailers, network service providers, the Total Environment Centre and other project partners to investigate two potential reforms,' he added.
He emphasized that the first reform could see local generators benefit from a reduction in network charges for using only the local network while decreasing demand in the surrounding areas.
By Gulsen Cagatay
Anadolu Agency
gulsen.cagatay@aa.com.tr