Key Takeaways
- The Australian Government’s Developer Rating Scheme (DRS), operated by Equifax Australasia Credit Ratings, was launched on 5 May 2026 and is open to all renewable energy developers and transmission companies
- The DRS assesses developers against seven criteria: community, conduct, character, capability, capacity, capital, and counterparty
- Companies meeting the minimum standards across all seven criteria are listed on a free public register and awarded a community engagement star rating, visible to landholders, local councils, and communities
- Companies that fail to meet minimum standards, or choose not to participate, will not appear on the public register
- The scheme contributes to the Government’s target of 82% renewable electricity by 2030 and the Capacity Investment Scheme’s goal of 40GW of renewable and dispatchable capacity by 2030
What is Changing
The Developer Rating Scheme (DRS) is a federal government initiative designed to provide landholders, local councils, and communities with greater transparency about the track record, capability, and conduct of renewable energy developers and transmission companies operating in regional Australia. The scheme was first recommended in the 2023 Community Engagement Review by former Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner Andrew Dyer, which highlighted poor consultation practices in some renewable energy projects. Following a pilot phase involving 60 developers, the DRS formally opened on 5 May 2026. A significant escalation occurred on 25 August 2026, when Tender 11 under the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), covering 1.8GW of new renewable generation in Western Australia, became the first CIS tender to require developers to have commenced the DRS assessment process as a condition of participation.
Why the Change
Australia’s renewable energy rollout is accelerating rapidly, but so too are tensions between developers and the regional communities and landholders living alongside proposed projects. Poor or insufficient community engagement has repeatedly delayed, complicated, and in some cases derailed renewable energy developments. The Government is thus responding via the DRS as a transparency and accountability mechanism designed to give communities reliable, independent information about who is proposing to develop energy infrastructure in their area, and to incentivise developers to lift their standards of community engagement over time. The scheme mirrors New South Wales’ iCIRT scheme for the construction sector, under which only accredited developers appear on a public register.
How It Works
The DRS is operated independently by Equifax Australasia Credit Ratings, which was appointed following an open tender process. Developers and transmission companies engage directly with Equifax to commence the assessment process, with assessment fees payable by the applicant.
Assessments are conducted against seven criteria: community, conduct, character, capability, capacity, capital, and counterparty. The assessment is data-driven and holistic, examining a developer’s track record, governance, financial stability, and community engagement capability across the full lifecycle of their projects. Companies that meet the minimum standards across all seven criteria are listed on a free public register, visible to landholders, community members, and local councils, and are awarded a community engagement star rating. Companies that do not meet the minimum standards, or that choose not to participate, do not appear on the register.
For Tender 11 of the Capacity Investment Scheme, developers must have commenced the DRS assessment process to be eligible to bid. Registrations opened on 25 August 2026, with bids open from 27 August to 22 October 2026. The tender aims to bring forward 1.8GW of new renewable generation in the Western Australian electricity market, with the Government noting that Western Australia’s growing economy and population require additional generation capacity.
What You Should Do Now
Developers who have not yet commenced the assessment process should engage with Equifax promptly, particularly given that Tender 11 demonstrates the Government’s clear intent to expand the mandatory participation requirement across future CIS tenders. Developers should also review their community engagement practices, governance frameworks, and financial capacity documentation against the seven assessment criteria to identify any gaps before commencing the rating process. Those already participating in the DRS should consider how their star rating is being communicated to landholders and community stakeholders as part of their social licence strategy.
References
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Developer Rating Scheme dcceew.gov.au/energy/renewable/developer-rating-scheme
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Developer Rating Scheme is now open, 5 May 2026 dcceew.gov.au/about/news/developer-rating-scheme-is-now-open
Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner, Developer Rating Scheme Launched
aeic.gov.au/developer-rating-scheme-launched
Minister for Climate Change and Energy, New scheme to drive higher standards for regional energy communities, 15 August 2025 minister.dcceew.gov.au/bowen/media-releases/new-scheme-drive-higher-standards-regional-energy-communities