Hundreds of thousands of Australian households will be able to reap the benefits of cheap renewable energy with or without solar panels under proposed reforms.

The changes, announced by Energy Minister Chris Bowen on Tuesday, will give consumers free access to electricity for three hours each day when solar power is abundant.

But only households in NSW, southeast Queensland and South Australia will qualify for access to the offer from mid-2026, with negotiations under way to broaden the program to other states in 2027.

The announcement comes a month after renewable energy took over from coal as the major source of power generation in Australia, and as political debate over the nation's energy future rages.

The Solar Sharer program will be introduced to the Default Market Offer , whic

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