Our Future Networks panel provides expertise to help us better understand our customers' preferences around new technologies. This includes the best ways the network can unlock more value for all customers and support the energy transition.

To help us, we’ve set up a panel of customers and other stakeholders to guide our work. Over the next couple of years, we will continue to talk to customers and communities on our network through a range of research and engagement activities.

Our future networks panel is made up of customers and stakeholders from across our network – from experts on energy to ‘everyday’ customers – are engaging with us as part of a wider Electricity Distribution Price Review (EDPR) engagement program.

Our future networks panel members are:

• Chris Harvey
• Kate Hansen
• Gavin Dufty
• Dean Lombard
• Prof. Nando Ochoa Pizzali
• Emma Chessell
• Darren McCubbin
• Linus Mayes

During our future networks panel meetings, we will be engaging with our panel members to answer the following focus questions:

1. Electrification of gas & transport: How might we best prepare for, and accommodate, the anticipated electrification of gas and transport loads (and other fuels)?

2. Community energy solutions: How might we support communities to realise their needs and energy aspirations?

3. Efficient integration of CER and renewables: How might we lay the foundations for a low cost decarbonised future, where everybody can benefit?

4. Using smart grid technology to improve network utilisation: How might we unlock more value for customers and reduce unit costs through an efficient mix of smart grid technology and new capacity?

5. Optimising customer outcomes & unlocking CER value: Beyond enabling exports, how might we support customers in unlocking other CER value streams?