On 18 August 2025, CS SubCo Pty Ltd (ACN 625 078 159) as trustee for Carwarp SF SPV (ABN 62 265 316 435) applied for a licence to generate electricity for supply or sale under section 18 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 (Vic).

Consultation on the licence application closed on 15 September 2025. We did not receive any submissions.

We granted the licence on 23 September 2025.

On 14 August 2025, Lancaster Solar Farm Pty Ltd (ACN 615 020 301) as trustee for Lancaster Solar Farm Trust (ABN 37 523 800 774) applied for a licence to generate electricity for supply or sale under section 18 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 (Vic).

Consultation on the licence application closed on 11 September 2025. We did not receive any submissions.

We granted the licence on 23 September 2025.

Overview

We are reviewing the life support protections in Victoria to uplift ongoing protections for life support customers.

The Essential Services Commission is undertaking a review of life support rules to strengthen protections for life support customers in Victoria. The scope of the consultation includes:

• Strengthening rules about life support registration and de-registration to improve the accuracy of the register of life support customers
• Introducing a distinction between life support customers with critical and assistive needs so that energy businesses and emergency services can provide targeted assistance during power outages to those that need it the most
• Introducing a medical confirmation template so that energy businesses, customers and medical practitioners are clear on the information requirements to register a customer as a life support customer in Victoria.

Information session

On 14 August 2025, we held an online information session where we provided an overview of the proposed reforms to Victoria’s life support rules.

A recording of the information session is available below: 

The information session and the content of the presentation are available for general information purposes only and do not constitute legal or other professional advice. The information session provided a summary of the proposed reform to life support rules that the commission is considering implementing in Victoria. For full insight of the changes, we recommend that you read the consultation paper. 

While the commission has made every reasonable effort to provide accurate information, you should obtain professional advice if you have any specific concerns before relying on the accuracy, currency or completeness of this information.
 

Next steps

We will review stakeholder feedback on the consultation paper to help inform our draft decision. Our draft decision is expected to be released for public consultation in March 2026.

Submissions to the consultation paper have been published on the commission’s website, except for any information that is commercially sensitive or confidential (as specified by stakeholders), in accordance with our Submissions Policy.

We will continue to proactively engage with the community, industry, community organisations and advocacy groups, government departments and agencies through individual meetings as this review progresses.

You can contact us via email, mail or phone.

• Email: energyreform@esc.vic.gov.au
• Mail: Essential Services Commission, Level 8, 570 Bourke Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000
• Phone: +61 3 9032 6290

We are also open to meeting with you to discuss specific feedback and encourage you to get in touch to discuss this option.

If English is not your first language, please contact TIS National on 131 450 to make your submission using an interpreter.

Following a review, the commission has released a final decision to revoke the Electricity Customer Metering Code of Practice and the Electricity Customer Transfer Code of Practice. The revocation of these Codes will take effect from 12 September 2025.

The Transfer and Metering Codes were regulatory instruments established in 2001 that contained obligations for Victorian electricity retail and distribution businesses relating to electricity customer metering and transfers. 

The review found that the code's obligations were outdated or duplicated other instruments such as the National Electricity Rules and the National Electricity Law. Their revocation will streamline obligations that are sufficiently regulated by other instruments and reduce unnecessary complexity of Victoria's energy regulation. 

For more details on our review and final decision, please view the Resources tab.