Grids is an independent energy consultancy led by Mitch O'Neill, who brings a combination of hands-on technical experience and high-level policy expertise to Australia's distributed energy transition. Before founding Grids in 2020, Mitch spent five years at Reposit Power building Australia's first residential Virtual Power Plant, progressing from software engineer developing core VPP control algorithms, to tech lead architecting backend dispatch systems, to head of strategy navigating the regulatory pathway that delivered Australia's first residential VPP registration for FCAS and successful participation in AEMO's RERT mechanism. This technical foundation, combined with subsequent roles contributing to national policy development at the Energy Security Board and synthesising learnings from ARENA-funded trials, means Grids understands both how distributed energy systems actually work and how policy frameworks need to evolve to support them at scale.

Since 2020, Grids has completed over 50 projects spanning the full spectrum of DER integration challenges—from drafting national interoperability policy and facilitating industry-wide stakeholder workshops, to supporting utilities with regulatory submissions and enabling community battery projects to navigate complex regulatory environments. Our work translates between the worlds of software developers, policymakers, market operators, and commercial teams, ensuring that technical solutions align with regulatory frameworks and market realities. Whether helping energy technology startups like OptiGrid, CAPA Intelligence and UPowr accelerate their commercialization, supporting utilities like Ausgrid and Evoenergy with strategic initiatives, or contributing to national reform processes, Grids brings practical, implementation-focused advice that helps clients turn complex distributed energy challenges into tangible progress toward Australia's clean energy future.