Pillar 1: Strengthen the core and enable the network

Finding new ways to improve and drive efficiencies in the way we work is critical to providing a safe and reliable supply of energy to our customers, and keeping network charges as low as possible. Through this pillar we are leveraging new tools, information and processes, while ensuring the systems we use to enable our core asset and works processes are fit for purpose today and into the future.

2024-25 Highlights

  • Award

    Enterprise Asset Management system named Initiative of the Year at the international Oracle Customer Edge Summit

  • 60,000+

    lifting and safety assets managed in new digital app

  • New

    Network Access Register launched to streamline authorised access requests and planned outage notifications

Network assets digital twin

The digital twin is an engineering-grade, Artificial Intelligence (AI) enabled virtual replica of our physical electricity network. It allows us to simulate real-world scenarios and assess how the network will respond under different conditions, improving asset management and investment planning.

Updates in November 2024 included enhancing the accuracy and analytical power of the digital twin by integrating new data from our Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and vegetation systems, the NSW Digital Cadastre Database, and the latest LiDAR (light detection and ranging) scans, corridor data and pole-top imagery. By refreshing the underlying data, the model reflects the most current location and asset information – providing deeper asset-level insights that support targeted, risk-based decision making.

Digital management of network tasks

We continued to implement digital task management tools to improve frontline productivity and streamline workflows. In 2024–25, we expanded the functionality of The Queue, our depot operations tool, increasing depot leader visibility of overdue tasks and enabling operational managers to centrally track scheduling and progress. Integration with our EAM system has reduced duplication and improved efficiency for both field teams and office-based leaders.

Alongside this, the ‘Reftab’ app was launched in May 2025 following successful pilots at the Culcairn, Dunedoo and Tamworth depots. The ‘Reftab’ app supports the management of more than 60,000 lifting and safety assets, aligning six-monthly inspection schedules across depots and digitising previously paper-based processes. The app has now been rolled out to all depots.

We also launched the new Electricity Distribution Network Access Register (EDNAR) in March 2025. This critical system refresh has simplified how employees and contractors request access to the network for both planned and unplanned work. EDNAR supports safe, authorised electricity network access while meeting our obligations to notify customers and retailers of planned outages under the National Energy Customer Framework (NECF).

Case study
International recognition for our Enterprise Asset Management system

Our cloud-based Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system was named Initiative of the Year at the international Oracle Customer Edge Summit. The system implemented Oracle Utilities Work and Asset Cloud Service and redesigned the asset management business processes throughout their entire lifecycle.

The new EAM has modernised the management of more than 10 million of Essential Energy’s assets and network components, strengthening the core of our business operations. It has increased our ability to track, monitor and analyse network asset data, supporting strategic and operational decisions that maximise their value to benefit our customers.

By factoring in the process, data, system and technology changes required to uplift our asset management capabilities, the EAM has strengthened our core business operations today, while setting the business up for the future.