A RAFT of infrastructure improvements is being planned by Victoria’s eastern electricity supplier to improve services to regional and rural customers.

AusNet is planning to invest $3.5 billion to upgrade the distribution network across Victoria, as outlined in a proposal submitted earlier this year to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) and which is designed to improve overall energy reliability,

The funding will allow for replacing ageing assets, increase network capacity, increase customer engagement, integrate solar- and wind-powered supply, and improve responsiveness to extreme weather events.

The investments are subject to approval by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER).

Key to the improvements will be $29.1m spent locally to build an express feeder between Benalla and Euroa with a remote rapid earth fault current limiter (REFCL) changeover station.

The REFCL is a bushfire mitigation tool used to reduce the risk of fires caused by powerlines due to a powerline touching trees or the ground by quickly reducing the voltage on the faulted line and increasing it on the remaining two lines.

The REFCL helps maintain power to homes and businesses while minimizing the risk of fire or electric shock.

AusNet general manager Charlotte Eddy said the investment was aimed to reduce the amount of prolonged power outages and increase community support when outages occurred.

"We have seen more storms over our network in the last four years than we have in a very long time, and we are expecting these to become the norm due to climate change," Ms Eddy said.

"The proposal follows two years of research and engagement where we have tested with over 16,000 of our customers aspects of our investment proposal."

Other investments that will affect the Strathbogies Shire include $8.6m to replace a 22kV switch room in Kilmore South.

Additional supply and switches will also be provided at Kinglake ($2.5m), allowing for outages to be better isolated and impact fewer customers, while a new feeder tie will provide an alternative pathway for supply as a backup for any outage.

Sectionalisation switches that also allow isolation of outages will be installed at Murrindindi for $261,000, while Mansfield will get 6kmof overhead lines and 4km of underground lines as part of an express section.

The AER will publish their draft decision in September, allowing a revised proposal to be submitted before a final decision is made.

The new regulatory arrangements will take effect from 1 July 2026.