Federal Government Releases Key CER Guidelines
In December 2025, the Energy and Climate Ministerial Council (ECMC) endorsed a list of 18 initial minimum CER device requirements. The requirements aim to better support interoperability across CER devices.
The list of 18 initial consumer energy resource (CER) device requirements is now available, marking a significant step forward in Australia’s coordinated approach to managing the integration of household energy technologies into the national electricity grid.
CER devices are consumer-owned technologies that generate or store electricity. They can include: solar inverters, batteries and electric vehicles (EV).
These initial requirements are intended to provide industry early guidance on how future CER devices should operate in Australia before a regulatory framework is established. Unlocking interoperability is expected to: give consumers more choice of energy providers.
Interoperability Focus Drives Policy Direction
Interoperability refers to the ability of different devices to communicate and work together, regardless of the: manufacturer, technology or energy provider. This capability is crucial as Australia prepares for exponential growth in household energy technologies.
Officials say improving interoperability could expand consumer choice of energy providers and help households and businesses obtain better value from their CER investments. The government also links the initiative to broader efforts to maximise consumer benefits as distributed energy technologies play a growing role in Australia’s energy mix.
This will help maximise consumer benefits as CER becomes a bigger part of Australia’s energy mix.
Industry Prepares for Future Regulation
The media release does not indicate that the requirements are mandatory at this stage, but frames them as preparatory guidance for industry ahead of future regulation. It also points to ongoing work under the National Consumer Energy Resources Roadmap and continued coordination through ministerial council processes.
A list of 18 requirements has been published along with details on existing applicable standards and gaps in standards. This comprehensive approach provides manufacturers and developers with clear direction on technical specifications needed for future market participation.
AEMC Unveils Complementary Market Rules
The CER device requirements complement broader market reforms announced by the Australian Energy Market Commission. New rules by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) are set to make it easier for households and businesses to capture value from their consumer energy resources (CER) and exercise greater control over their energy use. ‘CER’ refers to smaller-scale energy resources owned by customers, which can produce, store, or vary how they use energy.
By 2030, it’s predicted at least one in eight households will have a battery or electric vehicle, or both. By 2050, that number is expected to rise to one in four.
The integration challenges are significant. ‘A range of studies has estimated the net benefit of effective integration and coordination of CER to be up to $6.3 billion by 2040,’ according to AEMC Chair Anna Collyer.
Major Energy Certificate Reform Takes Effect
Running parallel to CER developments, Australia’s renewable energy certification system has undergone fundamental changes. The Large-scale Renewable Energy Target closed at the end of 2025, bringing with it the end of Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs) as the primary tool for certifying renewable electricity. In its place, the federal government has introduced the Guarantee of Origin (GO) scheme, with the Renewable Electricity Guarantee of Origin (REGO) certificate at its centre.
A REGO certificate is a digital, traceable record of renewable electricity generation, recording not just the volume but also the source and timing of generation. This level of granularity is what corporate buyers, export partners and sustainability auditors increasingly require.
Government Extends Critical Infrastructure Support
In related energy security moves, the Australian government is extending its subsidy scheme for refiners until 2030 in a move that it claims will ensure the future of its only remaining refineries. The Fuel Security Services Payment (FSSP) programme was introduced in 2021 to provide payments to refiners - namely Ampol and Viva Energy - when prices don’t cover the costs of production.
It was due to end next year, but the government will now extend the scheme to 2030 in an effort to keep two key refineries going: Viva Energy’s 120,000 barrels-per-day (BBL/d) Geelong refinery in Victoria and Ampol’s 109,000 BBL/d Lytton refinery in Brisbane, Queensland.