Sydney, 15 May 2026 – Commercial and industrial businesses across urban New South Wales (NSW) are set to play a growing role in keeping the lights on as the state transitions to renewable energy as part of a new 32 MW Virtual Power Plant (VPP) awarded to Enel X Australia under Tender Round 7 of the NSW Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap.
The project will see Enel X Australia’s VPP aggregate flexible demand – the ability to reduce or shift when energy is used – from businesses across Greater Sydney, the Central Coast, Newcastle and the Lower Hunter region to support grid reliability during periods of peak demand and system stress.
Enel X Australia was the only VPP awarded under the latest NSW firming tender, alongside a large-scale battery project. It builds on Enel X Australia’s existing 95 MW of successful Firming Capacity projects under the NSW Roadmap as coal generation retires and more renewable power enters the grid.
Unlike traditional generation projects, the VPP uses existing customer assets to deliver fast, scalable support to the grid. The additional 32 MW of flexible demand can provide enough capacity to support around 10,000 homes during grid emergencies, building on Enel X Australia’s existing NSW Roadmap portfolio, which can support around 30,000 homes.
The project highlights the growing role large energy users can play in supporting a reliable, renewables-led electricity system. Flexible demand provides fast, dispatchable capacity without the need to overbuild new peaking generation, demonstrating how businesses can help balance supply and demand while unlocking additional value from their energy flexibility.
The 32MW VPP is expected to commence commercial operations by 1 July 2027, creating a new opportunity for businesses across NSW to use their energy flexibility to support a more reliable, renewable grid.
More broadly, including its NSW Roadmap projects, Enel X already operates around 300 MW of flexible demand capacity across NSW through its VPP and demand response programs.
