The final determination on the 2026–2031 Electricity Distribution Price Review (EDPR) was announced in April. The EDPR is a five-yearly review by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) to determine the maximum allowed revenue that Victoria’s Distribution Network Service Providers (DNSPs) can recover from consumers for using their networks, including from councils for the operation, maintenance and replacement (OMR) of street lights, and related issues.
For the 2026–2031 period, the Victorian Greenhouse Alliances, working with consultant Ironbark Sustainability, directly engaged the DNSPs and worked closely with the AER and the Essential Services Commission to influence pricing and energy efficiency initiatives.
The DNSPs originally proposed a $100 million energy efficiency program for 2026-31, and the Alliances successfully encouraged an expansion of this program that is resulting in the DNSPs investing a further $51 million investment, enabling:
• Full LED streetlight upgrades across all local government areas during 2026-31
• A smart lighting system across major roads (215,000 lights)
Estimated impacts across Victoria are:
• About $360 million in cost savings
• More than one million tonnes of emissions avoided
• $1.2 billion reduction in road safety costs.
The total cost savings for WAGA councils over 20 years is $53.4 million.