Electricity network sector lifts its game after compliance monitoring
Ongoing monitoring of electricity network companies is needed to ensure customers can benefit from a faster, cheaper process for connecting clean energy systems, according to a report by ClimateWorks, the Property Council of Australia and Seed Advisory.
The report reveals that reforms to the National Electricity Market, which sought to bring greater certainty for consumers had not been adequately implemented by all the distribution network service providers.
“The new rules commenced in October 2014 after over two years of consultation, but by November 2014 only half of the DNSPs had reached a reasonable level of compliance”, said ClimateWorks Executive Director, Anna Skarbek. (see ‘before and after’ charts overleaf)
“Following our assessment and engagement, almost all DNSPs are now providing the required information and processes to help embedded generation applicants connect systems to electricity networks”.
Customer led changes to improve the connection process for clean energy and other embedded generation systems were adopted by the Australian Energy Market Commission following long-standing advocacy by the three organisations. The new rules require DNSPs to include better information for consumers about the process for connecting cleaner energy plants to the grid, allowing applicants to make an earlier and less costly assessment of the feasibility of their proposals.
“Public and private property owners stand to benefit from the new rules by installing cogeneration, trigeneration and renewable energy systems”, said Jennifer Cunich, Victorian Executive Director of the Property Council of Australia.
“However, our report shows that these benefits will not flow without improvements in energy market monitoring and enforcement.”
The report also identifies areas for further improvement in the process and recommends standardisation of the complex technical standards for embedded generation connections across different distribution networks.
ClimateWorks, the Property Council and Seed Advisory will continue to monitor how customers are using the new process and work towards the further opportunities for improvement identified in the report.
Media contact: Aileen Muldoon, 0419 112 3
The new rules include requirements relating to enquiry forms for distributed generation connection applications, information packs for prospective applicants, and the provision of registers of completed connections. There are 44 separate requirements. We have scanned each DNSP’s website and recorded one point for every individual requirement met. The results of our preliminary assessment in November 2014, and subsequent assessment in March 2015 are below.
Measured DNSP Compliance, November 2014
Measured DNSP Compliance, March 2015
