Press Release

London, 19 March 2024 – Piclo, the global marketplace for flexibility services and market access, has been chosen by leading distribution network service providers (DNSPs) CitiPower and Powercor, to deliver the cloud-based local flexibility platform in Victoria, Australia. This marks Piclo’s entry into the Australian energy market.

As Victoria continues its rapid energy transition, with population growth, home electrification, and rise of EVs, the need for grid flexibility has never been more important. 

Piclo’s flexibility marketplace, Piclo Flex, enables network service providers such as Powercor to source flexible electricity from sellers during times of high demand or low supply. This not only helps to remove constraints and reduce the costs for networks to serve customers, but also supports in the decarbonisation of grids, providing flexible electricity over expensive bulk power from traditional coal or gas powered sources. 

CitiPower and Powercor deliver electricity to around 1.27 million Victorian homes and businesses in Melbourne’s Central Business District (CBD), inner suburbs, and about two-thirds of regional Victoria. By partnering with Piclo, CitiPower and Powercor will further explore third party options to solve network constraints, seeking flex capacity across their networks.      

Piclo CEO and Co-founder, James Johnston, said:

“We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with CitiPower and Powercor, which signals our launch into Australia, as the country continues to embrace a rapid energy transition and the potential of distributed energy resources. This represents a significant milestone for Australia as it embarks on its flexibility journey..”

CitiPower and Powercor Head of Network Planning, Andrew Dinning, said:

‍“Having seen Piclo’s work with other networks internationally, we’re excited to partner with them in 2024. This project will help to further develop our own capabilities as a Distribution System Operator and open more of our network constraints to build the market for flex in Australia.”

About CitiPower and Powercor:

CitiPower and Powercor move electricity to and from more than 1.27 million homes and businesses Melbourne’s CBD, inner and western suburbs, through central, northern and western Victoria to the South Australian and New South Wales borders.

Our purpose as a Distribution System Operator is to ensure all forms of distributed energy resources – such as solar, batteries, smart appliances and electric vehicles – are integrated efficiently and flexibly in a system that benefits customers. 

Our network of poles, wires and other infrastructure are playing a critical role in supporting Victoria’s clean energy transition. We are at the forefront of finding innovative ways to support Victoria’s energy transition through projects and trials investigating community batteries, smart charging for electric vehicles, and microgrids and other community energy projects.

Our teams operate from multiple depots, our Bendigo-based customer contact centre and our CBD headquarters to deliver reliable, safe and affordable electricity by operating, managing and maintaining all network assets and metering services.

ENDS