Tracking efforts to maximise local electricity generation

A new tracker shows the progress of distributors voluntarily increasing their default export limit for residential connections to 10kW or more.

The tracker shows whether distributors have default export limits of 10kW or more, are in the process of increasing them, or aren’t currently considering changes. The tracker will be updated every month.

View progress tracker: Shift to 10kW export limits - The tracker was disestablished on 9 September 2026 following the introduction of new export limit requirements on 1 May 2026.)

Export limits are the caps on the amount of electricity that distributed generation – like rooftop solar and batteries – can supply to networks at any one time. Export limits are a necessary and important tool for distributors to manage the safety and reliability of their networks.

Under the current rules, distributors have wide discretion when setting export limits, with some using a blanket 5kW for residential connections.

This limit is likely unnecessarily low for many parts of the network, meaning the amount of electricity supplied to networks is being unnecessarily curtailed.

In November 2025, the Government expanded the allowable low-voltage supply range, making it easier for distributors to raise export limits for distributed generation operating on their networks.

We welcome distributors voluntarily increasing their default export limits, where it is safe to do so, to more efficient levels to maximise households’ contributions to the local electricity networks. We recognise the shift can be more challenging for some distributors due to varying network capacity, costs or other constraints.

We are currently considering whether to mandate a 10kW export limit for residential connections. Submissions on the proposed rule change are being considered, with a decision expected to be announced in about April 2026.

This was one of four key proposed changes to make export limits more efficient for all types of distributed generation, including solar and wind farms, so more clean, cheap and local energy can power communities.

Mandating the change would lock-in distributors’ efforts to expand export levels where it is safe, and ensure expansions to their networks are based on efficient export limits.

Proposals to increase export limits of distributed generation are part of the ‘Network connections project’ stage two, which aims to improve the efficiency of distribution networks.

Our network connections project