Everything Electric Podcast – Can Everyone Go Electric? (Without Rebuilding the Grid...)

Podcast: Everything Electric Podcast
Host: Robert Llewellyn (The Fully Charged Show)
Guest: Tim Jarrett, Group Executive for Market Development, External Affairs, and Strategy at Ausgrid (Australia)
Date: February 2, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the modernization of electricity grids—focusing especially on Australia as a global test bed. Robert Llewellyn and Tim Jarrett explore the challenges and opportunities as more people adopt renewable energy, distributed storage (batteries), and electric vehicles (EVs). The conversation reveals why the grid's future isn't just about more wires or gigawatt power plants, but about smarter management, equity, and creative solutions that ensure everyone benefits during the energy transition.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Changing Shape of the Electricity Grid

• From Centralized to Distributed: Australia's grid has transitioned from centralized, large-scale coal plants to hundreds of distributed energy sources—most notably rooftop solar and wind farms.
• Two-way Flow: The grid must now handle electricity flowing both to and from homes and businesses, not just downstream from large plants.
  • "Previously it was very much one way traffic...Now with this huge abundance of rooftop solar, we're seeing both sort of people generating a lot of what they need themselves, but also exporting back into the grid..." – Tim Jarrett (08:01)
• Analogy: It's like turning a one-way street into a two-way road, presenting unique challenges for management and design.

2. Rooftop Solar & Local Renewable Energy (07:18)

• Australia leads globally, with 33–40% of households having rooftop solar (07:18)
• This has rapidly altered network demand and export patterns.

3. Transmission vs Distribution Bottlenecks (10:26, 11:12)

• Main stress points in the grid have shifted from long-distance transmission to local distribution, especially with decentralized generation.
• Large-scale projects (like renewable energy zones) require new transmission lines, but local distribution upgrades are just as urgent.

4. The "Missing Middle": Local Complications (11:12–12:49)

• While major "trunk" infrastructure is often robust, the "edge bits"—wires from substations to homes—are challenged by localized surges and reverse flows.

5. Battery Uptake & Storage Solutions (15:45–16:21, 32:12)

• Government battery subsidies have driven explosive growth (1000–1300 domestic battery installs per day), now over 200,000 units.
• Home storage helps absorb excess solar at midday, smoothing grid loads and powering homes during the evening peak or outages.

"I think batteries are going to be the biggest change to the network that we see...all the way through..." – Tim Jarrett (32:12)

6. Dynamic Pricing and Consumer Behaviour (13:21)

• Networks are trialing dynamic network pricing to encourage consumers to use electricity (e.g. dishwashers, pool pumps) during peak solar generation hours.

7. Equity & Access: Risks of “Haves and Have-Nots” (24:53–27:48)

• Not everyone benefits equally:
  • Renters, apartment dwellers, and lower-income households often cannot install rooftop solar or batteries.
  • Affluent, suburban homeowners gain most—the risk of a bifurcated system is high.
• Community Solutions:
  • Trials with community batteries to facilitate shared benefits for those without direct access.

“We’re in a danger of getting into a sort of haves and have-nots situation...” – Tim Jarrett (25:54)

8. Curbside Charging for EVs (30:16)

• Australia is starting to develop curbside EV charging infrastructure, modeled after UK and European cities, aiming to improve access for those without driveways.

9. Role of Vehicle-to-Grid (V2G) and Future Technologies (35:48–36:29)

• Australia lags in EV uptake but is planning for V2G and vehicle-to-home integration.
• Major hurdles: consumer trust, practical behaviors, and technology readiness.

10. Rethinking Grid Planning: Top-Down and Bottom-Up (18:40–21:32)

• Traditional models planned from generation down to the user. Now, a "bottom-up" approach that maximizes local production and use is being piloted.
• Mixture of both could lower system costs and expedite renewable integration.

11. The Importance of Fair Pricing (41:58)

• Fair network pricing should reflect the distance electrons travel; locally consumed rooftop solar shouldn’t bear the same fees as long-haul transmission.

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• On Data Centers vs EVs
  "Electric cars...make very little impact, but data centers literally beat the living daylights out of our electricity grid." – Robert Llewellyn (02:13)

• On Home Energy Economics
  "If you’re able to access solar on your roof...you’re looking at about 6 cents a kilowatt hour ...If you’re able to put a battery in there...you’re looking at the high teens...that is very, very cheap when you consider...40 cents a kilowatt hour..." – Tim Jarrett (32:56)

• On the Challenge of Equity
  “We do have this risk of bifurcating into, say, the haves and have-nots...Where you’re going to have people...who can live a very nice lifestyle, very attractive economically, very low emissions...whereas those who can’t are now bearing a lot more of the burden of the transition.” – Tim Jarrett (26:49)

• On the Paradigm Shift in Energy
  "It is a transition. It does feel like quite a big change...in terms of the history of the human consumption of electricity, what we’re going through at the moment is a kind of paradigm shift." – Robert Llewellyn (37:59)

• On Collaboration
  “That’s one of the nice things about network businesses...you’re not competing...you can actually have a conversation about what’s working well in your area.” – Tim Jarrett (43:26)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Rooftop Solar & Its Network Impact – 07:18–08:46
• Distribution vs. Transmission; Where the Real Grid Issues Are – 11:12–12:49
• Dynamic Pricing and Shifting Consumer Habits – 13:21–14:48
• Battery Subsidy Uptake & Impact – 15:45–16:21
• Equity Challenges: Apartments, Renters & Low-Income – 24:53–27:48
• Community Batteries/Shared Storage – 28:24–29:23
• Curbside Charging and Urban Infrastructure – 30:16–31:33
• Cost & Economics of Solar + Home Batteries – 32:12–34:09
• Vehicle-to-Grid/Vehicle-to-Home – Potential & Challenges – 35:48–36:29
• How to Get to 100% Renewables – 49:04–51:26
• Growing Electricity Demand: Data Centers & EVs – 51:26–52:57

Closing Reflections

The episode concludes on a note of measured optimism. Fixing the grid isn’t about scrapping everything and starting anew, but about creative integration, community engagement, and a deep commitment to ensuring all parts of society transition together.

“You need early adopters to buy the kit and to iron out a lot of the teething problems…but as soon as things start to become mainstream we really need to think about the whole of society and make sure we don’t have pockets of have-nots who are kind of struggling to access it and then suddenly bearing a much greater cost of the transition.” – Tim Jarrett (53:18)

For listeners or readers who didn’t catch the episode, this conversation offers a window into the technical, societal, and policy challenges of electrification—emphasizing that Australia’s journey is loaded with both cautionary tales and blueprints for global adaptation.