Energy Efficiency Council - Efficiency Providers | Energy Users | Australia

EEC welcomes SA Power Network as the first electricity network to step up as an Industry Leader, advancing collaboration on customer flexibility, demand optimisation and system efficiency. 

Since joining the EEC in 2024, SA Power Networks has worked closely with the EEC and its members to strengthen the national conversation around demand-side participation, energy efficiency and electrification in the energy system. 

From advocating for a greater focus on consumers and their resources in the energy system,  to demonstrating the real-world benefits of demand flexibility, SA Power Networks has been at the forefront of showing how networks can enable a resilient and affordable energy transition. 

Andrew Bills, CEO of SA Power Networks, said: 

“Becoming an Industry Leader within the EEC is a natural next step for us. 

The EEC’s growing influence in advocating for smarter, more efficient energy use aligns directly with our own mission - to deliver a simpler, fairer and more sustainable energy system for customers. We see enormous potential in working across sectors to accelerate customer participation in the energy system - not just as consumers, but as active contributors to a secure and reliable system.  

The release of the EEC’s Efficient Electric Homes Market Acceleration Plan was a tipping point for us. Its focus on practical, customer-centric electrification mirrors our own efforts to unlock demand-side flexibility and reduce system costs for all South Australians.” 

SA Power Networks’ Flexible Exports program has already shown how customer flexibility in supply can be unlocked. Building on that, the Energy Masters project is now exploring flexibility on the demand side - enabling customers, through automation and incentives, to shift how and when they use energy.  

Together, these initiatives are demonstrating what ‘flexible connections’ really mean in practice: a system where customer technology and network capability work hand-in-hand to deliver lower costs, higher reliability, and a smoother path to net zero. 

Luke Menzel, CEO of the EEC, said: 

“The EEC’s work on energy system optimisation focuses on areas that make a big difference to the efficient operation of distribution networks — effectively managing peak demand, enabling flexibility that responds to local grid conditions, and helping customers actively participate in the energy system.  
 
SA Power Network’s decision to step up their membership to the Industry Leader level underscores that shared ambition and recognises the critical role that networks can play in enabling an efficient, electrified and decarbonised future.” 

EEC Industry Leaders are organisations that demonstrate a deep commitment to accelerating Australia’s transition to an efficient, electric and flexible energy system. They play a pivotal role in engaging in the EEC’s strategic agenda, supporting cross-sector collaboration, and championing the acceleration of demand side opportunities that will underpin a prosperous, net zero Australia. 

“The role of networks is changing fast. We’re no longer just asset managers - we now need to optimise a complex system of technologies that are interconnected but distributed across homes and businesses around the state.” said Mr Bills. 

 
“Our success will depend on how well we integrate and optimise customer technologies as part of the broader energy system. Energy efficiency isn’t just about what happens behind the meter - it’s about how the entire system, from homes to substations, works together in real time to deliver value.” 

“That requires stronger collaboration with partners like the EEC and others advocating across the demand side. The future will be about optimising investment on both the demand and supply sides of the system - capitalising on non-network solutions wherever they deliver better outcomes for customers, the market, and the network itself. That’s how we’ll keep energy reliable, affordable and sustainable for all.”