Our stories Pathway to Distribution System Operator
Energy systems around the world are facing transformational change driven by three key trends – decarbonisation, decentralisation, and digitalisation. The growth of DER connections in the SWIS is rising at pace, and we know being able to continue to connect and harness these resources will have significant benefits for customers and the community. Forecasts for residential solar, storage like home batteries and electric vehicles take-up show significant predicted growth, providing opportunities and challenges for Western Power, energy industry participants, and customers. Responding to these opportunities and challenges to maximise the value of DER is at the heart of the WA Government’s DER Roadmap, particularly around optimising the use of ‘excess’ DER capacity to manage peaks and troughs – generating value for customers while supporting efficient and reliable operation of the SWIS. For a number of years, Western Power has been integrating a new way of operating – as a Distributed System Operator (DSO).
A DSO plans, operates, and manages the distribution network in a high-DER environment by using data and digital tools to understand location, behaviour of DER and how they can best interact with the network. As a DSO, Western Power will enable aggregators, retailers, and a Distribution Market Operator (DMO) to integrate DER into the wider energy system – allowing these assets to provide services to the market, support the grid, and deliver value back to customers. This year, we advanced our core DSO capabilities by embedding technologies like Dynamic Operating Envelopes (DOEs) through the rollout of Dynamic Connections, expanding Network Support Services (NSS), and improving visibility and forecasting across the network. These help to manage real-time power flows, support new markets for DER, and offer more flexible alternative investments where appropriate.
Western Power Annual Report 2025
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