On 27 August 2026, Essential Energy applied for regulatory sandbox trial waivers through the Energy Innovation Toolkit. The purpose of the trial is for Essential Energy to test islandable microgrids across its network. These systems would normally operate as part of the connected electricity network but could temporarily supply local communities independently during outages.
The trial is intended to test whether islandable microgrids can improve reliability and resilience in remote or fringe-of-grid communities, while maintaining consumer protections, operational safety and market integrity. The trial would also test various configurations for generation and storage ownership, technical operation and market interfaces.
Visit the Energy Innovation Toolkit for more information about the trial waivers