Future of Utilities - Utilities of the Future

Chapter 6

Role of Utility and Pricing in the Transition

Tim Nelson^*

Judith McNeill^†*    AGL Energy, North Sydney, NSW, Australia^†    Behavioral, Cognitive and Social Sciences, Institute for Rural Futures, University of New England, Armidale, NSW, Australia

Abstract

Pricing grid and nongrid services will be a key determinant in how successfully utilities navigate coexistence with embedded generation and storage. This chapter assesses how utilities are responding to this challenge in Australia. Australia has some of the highest uptake rates of distributed generation in the world and until recently, the response of utilities has been slow. The analysis suggests that a reliable supply of electricity will be of significant value to consumers. Utilities ...