By Anne Wardell, Compliance Quarter.
The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has released an updated Electricity Service Provider – Registration Exemption Guideline Version 6 March 2018 (new Guideline).
The new Registration Exemption Guideline commenced on 1 March 2018 and introduces two new exemption classes for small and large Dedicated Connection Assets. Other changes address associated issues related to the connection of generation assets to exempt networks; and harmonise the Network Exemption Guideline’s dispute resolution and ombudsman access provisions with those proposed for the Retail Exempt Selling Guideline.
The main impetus for the changes to the new Guideline was the release by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) of the Transmission Connection and Planning Arrangements Rule Determination. That rule required the AER to amend the existing Registration Exemption Guideline to give effect to the new rule.
The AER elected to include some other changes as well as the ones required for the new AEMC Determination. The AER has also released its Reasons for Decision – Amended Network Exemption Guideline – Version 6 (Reasons) which discusses the changes and provides details of the consultation process.
At page 8 of the Reasons, the AER divide the topics covered by the Guideline review into the following three broad categories:
- Dedicated Connection Assets (Transmission Connection and Planning Arrangements Rule Change);
- Generator connections; and
- Protections for energy consumers.
The Reasons provide the following summary of the changes which have been made.
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