Enabling rural demand flexibility
We're providing enhanced regulatory support to Blackcurrent’s wholesale aggregation pilot as part of the Power Innovation Pathway.
Blackcurrent
Wholesale aggregation
Blackcurrent’s FLEX energy management platform aggregates distributed generation and storage, enabling customers to access wholesale markets directly and draw value from offering flexibility.
Unlocking customer-side flexibility in the market
New Zealand’s electricity market design currently limits investment in customer-owned assets such as solar, batteries and flexible loads. While policy signals highlight the importance of demand-side flexibility, the market structure does not provide the right financial incentives to support the business case. Customers rely on vertically integrated retailers, who control pricing and market access, capturing much of the value that distributed assets could otherwise deliver.
Blackcurrent’s FLEX energy management platform aims to address this imbalance. By aggregating distributed generation and storage, FLEX enables customers to access wholesale markets directly, creating new revenue streams and delivering value.
About Blackcurrent
Blackcurrent offer microgrid solutions that help their customers make decisions about the way energy is used, created, stored and managed. This allows their customers to improve operating efficiency, make informed decarbonisation decisions, improve financial performance and deliver new social value.
Power Innovation Pathway support
The Electricity Authority is supporting this initiative to foster innovation, and enable a more resilient and affordable electricity system for the long-term benefit of consumers.
Providing regulatory support
The Electricity Authority is providing enhanced regulatory support to Blackcurrent to help identify and remove regulatory barriers.
Informing the Authority's work programme
As the Authority supports innovators along the Pathway, we will use lessons learned to inform our own work programme.