Rob Bernau has been appointed to the role of General Manager Market Design. Rob has been acting in the role since John Rampton’s departure in mid-February. Before Rob’s secondment to the Authority, he was the Head of Energy, Airports and Dairy Regulation at the Commerce Commission.
Rob was responsible for the Commission’s economic regulation of electricity lines, gas pipelines and major airports, and for the Commission’s regulatory functions in the dairy sector. Since 2016 Rob has also been responsible for overseeing the Commission’s interface with the Authority, particularly in relation to evolving technologies in the electricity sector. Rob joined the Commission in September 2010 as General Counsel in the Regulation Branch. Before 2010, Rob worked for New Zealand Post in network access and legal roles, and for Chapman Tripp.
Ilana Miller has been appointed to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Ilana starts at the Authority on 4 June 2019. The new COO role is focused on improving organisational practice to deliver regulatory excellence, and to reinforce the intended development cycle across market monitoring, market design, and compliance activities.
Ilana is currently the National Manager Petroleum & Minerals at the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment which she joined in 2014. Before 2014, Ilana worked at the Environmental Protection Agency. Ilana is an experienced regulator with extensive working knowledge of complex regulatory systems. Ilana is well-recognised within government for building strong relationships with a diverse range of stakeholders including across government; business leaders; iwi; and the private sector.
Helping electricity consumers share data and get better targeted services
Today, we have released a consultation paper that proposes steps to make it easier for electricity consumers to share their historical consumption data with organisations they trust. In return customers will benefit from products and services tailored to better meet their needs and wants.
This is part of our Additional Consumer Choice of Electricity Services (ACCES) project which seeks to enable greater consumer uptake of electricity services.
The consultation paper proposes three measures. Submissions are welcome and are due by Tuesday, 11 June 2019.
Notice of decision to lay formal complaint with the Rulings Panel
On 4 April 2019, the Authority decided, under regulation 23(3)(b) of the Electricity Industry (Enforcement) Regulations 2010, to lay a formal complaint with the Rulings Panel against Transpower New Zealand Limited (Transpower) as the grid owner.
The complaint relates to work Transpower undertook on the Hamilton 110 kV bus in January 2018. The Authority alleges that when Transpower worked on the bus, it failed to maintain the protection system for its assets.
On 25 January 2018, when Transpower carried further work out on the bus, a relay for a transformer that formed part of the protection system incorrectly operated. This disconnected the transformer and caused a loss of supply of 185 MWh to Hamilton, Cambridge, Coromandel Peninsula, and the wider Waikato area. The protection system (of which the relay is a part) was not selective when it operated because it disconnected the transformer when it should not have.
The Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is hosting an Industry Training Day in Auckland on Wednesday, 8 May 2019. Attendees will increase their understanding of the New Zealand electricity market, including ASX electricity derivatives and the important role they play in the market.
Training will be provided on the full suite of ASX New Zealand energy derivative products, their specifications and characteristics/risk profile, as well as how they are typically used in relation to the underlying electricity physical market.
Further information and registration details are on the event webpage.
Energy Trader Forum: Where to from here for New Zealand electricity?
The Energy Trader Forum is hosting its next quarterly meeting at the Rydges Hotel in Auckland on Thursday, 9 May 2019 from 1.30pm to 6.00pm.
Stu Innes – Co-founder and CEO of emhTrade will pose some questions around the recent, sustained high market prices and what the market response might look like. Meeting sponsor Swiss Re will be speaking about weather derivatives and hedging. There will also be updates from large energy users including Auckland Airport and NZ Steel, and Auckland Council will present on their new energy projects and their Climate Action Plan.
The regular market updates will cover gas, electricity spot and futures as well as the financial transmission rights market.
Subscribe to the Energy Trader Forum newsletter to receive full updates or visit the forum webpage to view the agenda and register to attend.
MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials – Techweek event
The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials research is hosting an industry interface event in Auckland on Wednesday, 22 May 2019 as part of the Techweek festival.
Hear from thought leaders in the energy and sustainability fields about how new materials have the potential to impact on New Zealand’s energy landscape.
Topics will range from new materials research aimed at reducing electricity consumption in supercomputers; to carbon dioxide capture; and hydrogen as an energy source.
The MacDiarmid Institute research portfolio includes:
developing and characterising new electronic and photovoltaic materials with tailored performance
nanoporous materials for energy and environment related applications
functional nanomaterials inspired by biology, or manufactured using biology for advanced applications in energy, medicine, and sensing
new nano-tools for cellular studies.
More information is available on the event website.
Rob Bernau has been appointed to the role of General Manager Market Design. Rob has been acting in the role since John Rampton’s departure in mid-February. Before Rob’s secondment to the Authority, he was the Head of Energy, Airports and Dairy Regulation at the Commerce Commission.
Ilana Miller has been appointed to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Ilana starts at the Authority on 4 June 2019. The new COO role is focused on improving organisational practice to deliver regulatory excellence, and to reinforce the intended development cycle across market monitoring, market design, and compliance activities.
