Research & advisory services for theEnergy Transition
The National Electricity Market is in the middle of the most complex transformation in its history, and the rules are still being written. Energy Synapse helps government, market bodies and industry make sense of it, bringing independent, evidence-based analysis to the policy questions, market mechanisms and strategic decisions that will shape the transition.
Our research and advisory work is grounded in the same quantitative rigour as our modelling, but answers a different kind of question: not just what a project will earn, but how the market works, where policy is heading, and what it all means. We’ve been engaged by bodies including the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC), Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the ACT Government to do exactly this.
How we help
Every engagement is bespoke, but our work generally falls into a few areas:
Advising government and market bodies
We help policymakers and market institutions understand the likely impact of policy and market-design choices, assessing how proposed mechanisms, rule changes and technologies would play out in practice. Our analysis has been used to inform market-design and regulatory processes at the national level.
A selection of our public research and advisory engagements:
- Valuing load flexibility in the NEM for ARENA — Commissioned by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, with NERA Economic Consulting, to model the value of demand-side flexibility across the NEM over 20 years, spanning rooftop solar and batteries, EVs, smart buildings, industrial electrification and green hydrogen. The study found flexible load could deliver $8–18 billion in system savings.
- Jacka community-scale battery for the ACT Government — Engaged by the Suburban Land Agency to provide commercial, technical and regulatory advice on community-scale storage, mapping value streams across ownership models and recommending a procurement approach.
- Demand response in the NEM for the AEMC — Engaged by the Australian Energy Market Commission to characterise demand response across residential, commercial and industrial sectors. Our report was used by the AEMC, AEMO and the Energy Security Board to inform the post-2025 market design process.
Helping industry make sense of policy and market mechanisms
The NEM is layered with underwriting schemes and market mechanisms including the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), Long-Term Energy Service Agreements (LTESAs), Firm Energy Reliability Mechanism (FERM), the Electricity Services Entry Mechanism (ESEM) and more. We help clients understand how these mechanisms work, how they interact, and which are the best fit for their situation, so they can engage with them from an informed position.
Expert witness reports and testimony
We provide expert witness services on matters relating to the National Electricity Market, electricity pricing, and revenue from battery and renewable assets. Our work combines rigorous analysis with clear communication and impartial judgement.
Our scope of services typically includes:
- Thorough review of the brief and the evidence submitted by both sides.
- Detailed calculations and modelling (as required).
- Clear and structured expert report.
- Expert testimony presented in a way that judges and legal teams can easily understand.