Australia awards AU$30 million to 14 grid-enhancing technology projects
Australia’s DCCEEW awarded AU$30 million to 14 grid-enhancing technology projects, including vehicle-to-grid and shared solar, announced July 22, 2026.
Photo by Robert So on Pexels
Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) announced on July 22, 2026 that it would allocate AU$30 million across 14 winning projects under its Grid Enhancing Technologies (GET) Grant Program, Minister Chris Bowen’s office said in a media release. The program, which runs from 2025-26 to 2028-29, funds projects worth up to AU$5 million each and is administered directly by DCCEEW rather than through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, according to coverage by EV Infrastructure News. Trade outlet electrive.com reported on the awards on July 27, 2026.
Grid-enhancing technologies raise the capacity and efficiency of existing transmission and distribution lines so more rooftop solar, wind, and batteries can connect without building new poles and wires, and reduce curtailment of renewable generation. Bowen said the grants “will support more renewables in the system, put downward pressure on energy bills, and build a stronger, more resilient grid,” adding that “Australia has the best sun and wind in the world, and we’re helping households maximise the benefits.”
Fourteen projects across Victoria, NSW, Queensland, WA, SA and the ACT
The funded projects span network operators, technology developers, and startups. Named recipients include Jet Charge, funded to study realising network benefits from vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology; Charge Hub Australia, developing dynamic electric-vehicle charging pricing under a project titled “From Anxiety to Access”; Allume Energy, working on shared solar and battery optimisation for apartment buildings and other multi-unit dwellings; AusNet Electricity Services, building a “Network Exchanger” tool; Ecojoule Energy, focused on accelerating grid efficiency for consumers; Ouroborous, developing a battery orchestration platform called FlexBat; and Epec Engineering, working on oscillation localisation and visualisation to improve grid stability during periods of high solar output. No individual project funding amounts were disclosed beyond the AU$5 million cap.
| Grid Enhancing Technologies grants | Detail |
|---|---|
| Total funding announced | AU$30 million |
| Number of winning projects | 14 |
| Maximum grant per project | AU$5 million |
| Program timeframe | 2025-26 to 2028-29 |
| Administering body | DCCEEW (direct) |
| Regions covered | Victoria, NSW, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, ACT |
Source: DCCEEW media release (via Mirage News), July 22, 2026, and EV Infrastructure News.
The GET program sits within the Australian government’s broader “Rewiring the Nation” agenda, a transmission and grid-investment push exceeding AU$20 billion. Electric vehicle sales reached 27.5 percent of new vehicle sales in Australia in April 2026, up from 1.9 percent in 2022, underscoring the grid-integration pressure that projects such as Jet Charge’s vehicle-to-grid study and Charge Hub Australia’s dynamic pricing work are intended to address.
The grants add to a run of Australian grid-technology investment this year. Winssolutions previously covered Transgrid’s expansion of grid-forming battery storage in the New South Wales grid, which the Australian Energy Market Operator has designated a priority technology for 2026, and Australia’s record 9.1 GW of new renewable generation and storage connected in the 2025-26 financial year, of which battery storage made up the largest share.
Background
DCCEEW is the Australian federal department responsible for climate, energy, environment and water policy, and administers grant programs supporting the country’s renewable energy transition alongside agencies such as the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Australian Energy Market Operator. Eligible applicants for the Grid Enhancing Technologies program include Australian-incorporated businesses, universities, and publicly funded research organisations, according to EV Infrastructure News. The program follows earlier state-level grid-technology funding, including New York’s NYSERDA program in the United States, and reflects a wider international push to extract more capacity from existing grid infrastructure as rooftop solar, batteries, and electric vehicles are added faster than new transmission lines can be built. With 14 projects now funded through to 2028-29, DCCEEW’s next step will be tracking whether the technologies deliver the promised capacity gains without new poles and wires.
Sources: Mirage News (mirror of DCCEEW media release); EV Infrastructure News (Informa/Solar Media); electrive.com
Featured image: photo by Robert So on Pexels (free Pexels license).
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I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.
