The New South Wales government has amended its Peak Demand Reduction Scheme (PDRS) to broaden solar battery rebates from Sept. 1, extending support to apartment buildings and to small, medium, commercial and industrial users with systems up to 30 MWh. The changes allow rebates to be stacked with the federal Cheaper Home Batteries program for eligible categories, including apartments up to 100 kWh. The policy aims to speed up behind-the-meter storage deployment and reduce reliance on coal-fired power. The expansion is expected to benefit energy retailers, integrated energy service providers and storage system integrators operating in Australia.

Australia’s state of Victoria said it has banned energy retailers from imposing a so-called “loyalty tax” on long-term customers, taking effect immediately. From July 01, 2026, retailers must move customers who have been on an offer for more than four years onto the Victorian Default Offer (VDO), with penalties of up to $244,212 per breach. The state said the policy is expected to help tens of thousands of households save about $258 a year on average. The measure is a state-level regulatory action and is not tied to national energy companies or wholesale commodity pricing mechanisms.