As Australia races toward decarbonisation, the nation’s energy sector faces a hidden risk: operational blind spots
From distributed energy resources to tightening cybersecurity obligations, the sector’s complexity is growing.
Yet many operators still rely on legacy systems that fail to provide a complete picture of their assets and operations. The result is fragmented insights, slower decision-making and escalating risks that can cost millions.
For decades, utilities and energy providers relied on SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems, telemetry feeds and manual reporting designed for a different era.
Today, those systems are struggling to keep pace with the demands of electrification, AI (artificial intelligence)-led automation and modern compliance. The result is an industry in transition where field crews, engineers and executives are often forced to make high-stakes decisions with only fragments of the full picture.
This matters more than ever in 2025.
As infrastructure modernises, the ability to transform raw data into clear, actionable insights is fast becoming the foundation of operational excellence. Without it, efficiency falters, resilience erodes and compliance risks escalate.
When visibility is partial, operators face a series of cascading problems.
Alarm overloads pile up with no root-cause traceability. Faults escalate because systems are fragmented. Maintenance is triggered by time rather than condition. Long-term planning relies on stitched-together spreadsheets that fail to capture the bigger picture.
The outcome is slower reactions, higher costs and a greater risk of outages.
Four forces in particular are driving the urgency.
First is the rise of distributed energy resources (DERs), which require seamless integration to avoid creating fresh blind spots. Second is cybersecurity, where compliance with the Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act and Australian Energy Sector Cyber Security Framework (AESCSF) now demands real-time awareness and response. Third is decarbonisation, with environmental, social and governance (ESG) mandates requiring verified, near-real-time data for accurate emissions reporting. Finally, workforce constraints mean that as experienced operators exit, digital systems must carry more of the load.
The consequences of partial visibility are already clear.
A crew sent to repair a fault may discover it originated upstream, losing hours and risking safety. A minor alarm, unnoticed amid noise, can escalate into a major shutdown. Capital projects can be deferred or derailed because reports lacked the right context. These are not anomalies – they are the predictable outcomes of fragmented systems.
Solutions are emerging. Real-time asset visibility, enabled by digital twins and integrated SCADA, Internet-of-Things and edge devices, can provide a single source of truth.
Predictive maintenance, powered by AI analytics, allows failures to be forecast weeks in advance and addressed during low-demand periods. Cybersecurity by design, built into governance and aligned with SOCI Act requirements, ensures 24/7 monitoring and compliance across both IT and operational systems.
Australian automation and operational technology specialist SAGE Group asserts that the pathway forward is clear: assess and align data flows, modernise SCADA and edge analytics, embed AI models at scale, and strengthen cybersecurity with continuous monitoring.
Collaboration – across operators, regulators and technology providers – will be essential to standardise protocols, upskill workforces and secure flexible funding models that match the pace of innovation.
In today’s energy market, visibility is no longer optional. Those seeking to close the gap will make better decisions, strengthen compliance, and lift output. SAGE Group emphasise that those who do not risk falling behind in a sector where resilience and agility define long-term success.