Security and Reliability Council appointments
The Authority recently sought nominations to fill three positions on the
Security and Reliability Council (SRC). The vacancies related to the
expiry of the initial two-year terms of three of the founding members.
The SRC Charter identifies a range of selection criteria, and requires
the SRC as a whole to include a balance of knowledge regarding the
long-term interests of consumers, power systems engineering and
analysis, generation and demand-side management technologies, and
regulatory and economic analysis. How the new appointments complement
the existing membership was an important consideration in the selection
process.
The Authority received nominations from a number of very highly
qualified candidates. We are pleased to announce the reappointment of
Albert Brantley and Bruce Turner and the appointment of new member Guy
Waipara as members of the SRC on three-year terms.
The next meeting of the SRC will be held on 13 May.
|
Retail Advisory Group issues paper on domestic contracting arrangements
The Retail Advisory Group is reviewing the domestic contracting arrangements, including an assessment of:
-
whether to develop minimum terms and conditions for the relationship
between consumers and distributors (where the distributor has a direct
relationship) and retailers (referred to as conveyance model
arrangements)
-
whether to more closely monitor retailers’ behaviours by monitoring
their compliance with their domestic contracts, for example, by
collecting and reporting consumer complaints data
-
the potential to improve the operational efficiency of the
arrangements to assist medically dependent and vulnerable consumers.
The Retail Advisory Group is seeking feedback on issues relating to the
operational effectiveness of the domestic contracting arrangements, so
it can identify specific problems to be addressed.
Submissions should be received by 5pm on Tuesday, 11 June 2013.
|
Part 10: consultation on proposed extension to go-live date
The Authority is seeking feedback on a proposed extension to the
effective date of the new Part 10 metering arrangements from 6 June 2013
to 29 August 2013.
The new Part 10 affects the obligations of distributors, traders, test
houses, metering equipment owners and metering equipment providers.
Industry user acceptance testing of the Part 10 changes to the registry
is currently in progress.
A small number of participants have indicated that, while they are
working to meet 6 June 2013, they may not be operationally ready on
time. However, other parties have advised that they will be
operationally ready by 6 June 2013 and would face additional costs if
the go-live date is deferred.
The Authority has been keeping a close eye on progress via the user
acceptance testing process and by engaging with parties over the
readiness of their new systems. As a result, Authority staff
prepared a draft consultation paper last week for consideration by the
Board on Monday morning. The Authority Board decided yesterday
morning to consult on a proposal to defer the go-live date to 29 August
2013.
The consultation period is one week and closes at 5pm on Tuesday, 23 April 2013.
|
Part 10 Participant Transition Plan
Industry feedback on the draft Part 10 Participant Transition Plan has
been published. The plan describes the steps to be carried out by
traders, distributors, metering equipment owners, metering equipment
providers and market operation service providers to implement the new
Part 10 requirements by 6 June 2013. An updated version of Part 10
Participant Transition Plan will be published shortly.
|
Proposed transitional and minor Code amendments to Parts 10, 11 and 15: submissions published
Submissions on the consultation paper ‘Proposed transitional and minor
Code amendments to Parts 10, 11 and 15’ have been published.
|
Alternative form of bank guarantee
The Authority has approved a variation to the ‘standard’ form of bank
guarantee in Schedule 14.1 of the Code. The variation follows the
standard form in most respects, but does not define the guarantor’s
maximum obligation in dollar terms. Instead, a limit is defined in
electricity volume terms, and this is used in a formula in the guarantee
to calculate the maximum financial obligation of the guarantor.
|
Fourth stress test results
Reports on the stress test results for the April-June 2013 quarter have been published.
The stress testing regime (referred to in the Code as Spot Price Risk
Disclosure) requires certain participants in the wholesale electricity
market to apply a set of standard stress tests to their market position,
and report the results to their board and to an independent registrar
appointed by the Authority.
Questions about the reports or the stress tests can be directed to info@ea.govt.nz. Please include 'stress test' in the subject line.
|
Exemption granted for Electricity Ashburton Limited
The Authority has granted Electricity Ashburton Limited an exemption
(exemption number 163) from clauses 10.3(f)(i) and 15.38 of the
Code.
|
Exemption granted for The Power Company Limited
The Authority has granted The Power Company Limited an exemption (exemption number 167) from clause 10.3(f)(ii) of the Code.
|
Submissions on Electricity Information Exchange Protocols consultation
Submissions on the consultation ‘Electricity Information Exchange
Protocols: decisions and further consultation’ have been published. The
Authority received 11 submissions, one of which is confidential.
|
Transmission pricing methodology conference: clarification of views in submissions
The Authority is holding a transmission pricing methodology (TPM)
conference for all parties who submitted on the `TPM: issues and
proposal paper’.
The purpose of the conference is for the Authority to clarify and
explore issues and views raised in submissions and cross-submissions on
the `TPM: issues and proposal paper’, to advance its understanding of
the key points of difference between submitters, and to explore issues
arising from our preliminary analysis of submissions.
The conference will be held on 29, 30 and 31 May 2013, at the West Plaza
Hotel, 110 116 Wakefield Street, Wellington. Due to the size of
the venue numbers are limited.
Submitters wishing to attend should register by sending their names and company details to conference@ea.govt.nz with `TPM conference’ in the subject line.
Registrations and any feedback on the indicative agenda should be received by 5pm on Thursday, 9 May 2013.
|
Process for managing a retailer default situation: workshop
The Authority is developing a proposed amendment to the Electricity
Industry Participation Code 2010 (Code) to establish a process for
managing a retailer default situation. The proposal is based on the
approach recommended by the Retail Advisory Group.
The Authority will consult on detailed Code amendments in due course,
but it is first seeking feedback from interested parties on the
practical aspects of the proposed process at a workshop to be held in
Wellington on Tuesday, 23 April 2013, from 9.30am to 12.30pm.
The purpose of the workshop is to identify any aspects of the proposed
process that might prevent a successful resolution of a retailer default
before consulting on the detailed Code amendments. In particular, the
Authority is seeking technical input on how the proposed process might
affect the actions and activities of participants if there were a
retailer default; and on the possible implications for existing
switching processes.
To enable interested parties to provide input, the Authority has
prepared working draft guidelines for managing retailer default
situations to provide a focus for discussion. These draft guidelines
have been prepared as if the proposed arrangements had been adopted, but
does not reflect the current Code and should not be used or relied on
if there is a retailer default event.
The workshop will focus on the views of interested parties on the
practical implications of each aspect of the proposed process for
participants and consumers. The workshop is not intended to address
policy issues such as the definition of an event of default, or the
mechanism for transferring any remaining customers of a retailer that is
in default to other retailers. Policy issues will be considered during
consultation on detailed Code amendments.
Those wishing to attend the workshop should register by sending their
names and company details to conference@ea.govt.nz with `retailer
default workshop’ in the subject line. Registrations close at 5pm on
Wednesday, 17 April 2013.
|
Approved test house forum: presentations
Presentations from the Authority’s forum for approved test houses on
Thursday, 11 April 2013 have been published. The forum discussed the new
Part 10, Electrical Safety Amendment Regulations 2012 and calculation
of uncertainty.
|
Compliance Update
The Authority has published its latest update on compliance matters, up until 10 April 2013.
|
Current consultations
Dispatchable demand go-live date extension
The Electricity Industry Participation (Dispatchable Demand) Code
Amendment 2011 was gazetted on 20 October 2011 with a start date of 27
June 2013. In November 2012 the Authority decided to review the design
of dispatchable demand with the view of implementing a cheaper and
simpler design. That review is nearing a conclusion and a decision is
expected to be made in May 2013. Meanwhile the start date of 27 June
2013 will not be able to be met and will need to be extended. Started:
8/3/2013. Ending: 17/4/2013, 5pm.
Strategic directions for market development
The Authority is seeking feedback on proposed strategic directions for
market development. The strategic directions are intended to further
explain the Authority’s future focus for market development, and to
provide more information about how the Authority might respond to
changing circumstances, such as technology change. Started: 12/3/2013.
Ending: 23/4/2013, 5pm.
Review of undesirable trading situation provisions
The Authority has reviewed the undesirable trading situation (UTS)
provisions in the Code in light of experience with the UTS which
occurred on 26 March 2011. The review did not identify a need for any
fundamental changes, but has highlighted a number of areas where the
Code could be improved. Started: 19/3/2013. Ending 1/5/2013, 5pm.
Part 10 implementation: Proposed Guideline for Metering Equipment Provider Audits
Part 10 of the Code establishes the regulatory framework for metering in
the New Zealand electricity industry. The Authority has approved a new
Part 10 and associated amendments to Parts 1, 11 and 15 to develop a new
set of metering arrangements that will be effective from 6 June
2013.This consultation seeks feedback on the Authority's draft
‘Guideline for Metering Equipment Provider Audits’. Starting: 25/3/2013.
Ending: 7/5/2013, 5pm.
Wholesale Market Information Disclosure Obligations (clause 13.2) Guideline
The Authority is seeking feedback on a proposed guideline to assist
participants in applying proposed changes to clause 13.2 of the Code.
The proposed changes to clause 13.2 were the subject of a consultation
which closed on 21 December 2012. Starting: 26/3/2013. Ending: 7/5/2013,
5pm.
Options for increasing consumers propensity to compare and switch retailers
The Retail advisory group (RAG) is considering options for promoting
retail competition by increasing consumers’ propensity to compare and
switch retailers. The purpose of the project is to identify actions the
Authority might take after 30 April 2014 to increase consumers’
propensity to compare and switch retailers. Starting: 9/4/2013. Ending:
4/6/2013, 5pm.
|
NZ electricity hedge contracts - 12 April 2013
 Information plays an important part in building market confidence and strength.
To assist interested parties in tracking market development, the Authority publishes NZ electricity hedge contracts as a standard section of its weekly Market Brief.
|
|
|
Back to top