13 December 2022

On 13 December 2022, 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 Ecotricity Limited Partnership.

The complaint relates to alleged breaches of clauses 11.32A, 11.32B, 11.32E, 11.32EA and 11.32EB of the Code arising from its refusal to provide consumers’ electricity consumption data lawfully requested by The Utility Company Limited between 4 August 2020 and 7 June 2021.

12 April 2022

On 12 April 2022, 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 as the system operator.

The complaint related to alleged breaches by the system operator in relation to its management of the grid emergency on 9 August 2021. Ten potential breaches of the Code were investigated, and the Authority has decided to lay a formal complaint with the Rulings Panel in relation to four alleged breaches.

1 February 2022

On 1 February 2022, the Authority decided under regulation 23(3)(b) of the Regulations to lay a formal complaint with the Rulings Panel in respect of an alleged breach by the grid owner. The grid owner is alleged to have failed to provide protection systems for its assets that form part of the grid. 

On 1 December 2020 the SEL421 relay associated with Otira circuit breaker CB92 failed due to temporary RAM failure. The SEL421 relay fail alarm was incorrectly wired and did not operate when the relay failed. On 12 December 2020 the Kumara to Otira circuit tripped. The failure of the SEL421 relay meant that Otira CB92 failed to open, causing a loss of supply to consumers.

2 November 2021 - Transpower New Zealand Limited as the grid owner

On 2 November 2021, the Authority decided, under regulation 23(3)(b) of the Electricity Industry (Enforcement) Regulations 2010, to lay a formal complaint with the Rulings Panel in respect of the grid owner’s alleged breach of clause 13.141(2) from 3 November 2020 to 15 December 2020.

The complaint relates to the grid owner not changing its calculation of demand information that it provided to the pricing manager after the status of Alinta ENZ Limited’s kiln co-generation plant changed to a Type B industrial co-generation station.

The alleged breach has been calculated to have caused a significant market impact with generators being overpaid by $31.6M and purchasers overpaying by $32.6M.

4 April 2019

On 4 April 2019, under regulation 23(3)(b) of the Electricity Industry (Enforcement) Regulations 2010, the Authority decided to lay a formal complaint with the Rulings Panel in respect of Transpower’s alleged breach of clause 4(4)(a)(ii) of Technical Code A of Schedule 8.3 of the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 from 19 to 25 February 2018.

4 December 2018

On 4 December 2018, under regulation 23 of the Electricity Industry (Enforcement) Regulations 2010 (Regulations), the Authority decided to lay formal complaints with the Rulings Panel under regulation 30 of the Regulations, in respect of the following alleged breaches of the Code:

(a) by the system operator:

  1. clause 7.1A(1);
  2. clause 7.2A(1);
  3. clause 7.2A(2);
  4. clause 7.2B;
  5. clause 8.5(1)(a);
  6. clause 8.5(1)(b);
  7. clause 8.5(2);
  8. clause 3 of Technical Code B of Schedule 8.3;
  9. clause 4(a) of Technical Code B of Schedule 8.3;
  10. clause 6(2)(a) and (e) of Technical Code B of Schedule 8.3; and 
  11. clause 3(1) of Technical Code C of Schedule 8.3;
  12. clause 84 of the Policy Statement.

(b) by the grid owner:

  1. clause 12.113;
  2. clause 8.25(1);
  3. clause 8.28(1); and
  4. clause 4(5)(b) of Technical Code A of Schedule 8.3.

2 May 2012

On 2 May 2012, the Authority decided, under regulation 27(2) of the regulations, to lay a formal complaint with the Rulings Panel under regulation 30 of the regulations, in respect of the following breaches of the Rules:

  • the admitted breaches of clauses 1.3.1.3(a), 1.3.2.4(a) and 1.3.4.7(a) of schedule G6 of part G of the Rules (Admitted Breaches) by the System Operator, and in the alternative, in relation to breaches of rules 3.3 and 4.2 of section III of part G of the Rules, by way of a breach of clauses 1.3.1.3(a), 1.3.2.4(a) and 1.3.4.7(a) of schedule G6 of part G of the Rules; and
  • the alleged breach of rule 5 of section VI of part F of the Rules (Alleged Breach).

8 June 2010

Notified breaches alleged of Meridian Energy. The alleged breaches concerned Meridian Energy, as a retailer, not accounting for electricity under an assigned installation control point (ICP), not updating the Registry, and not submitting volumes to the Reconciliation Manager.

15 May 2007

Admitted breaches of rule 1.3.4.7 of schedule G6 of part G of the Rules by the System Operator concerning the failure to correctly incorporate Grid Owner information regarding the Wilton transformer (T8) into the dispatch schedule from 17:00 to 17:10 on 28 April 2006 and 14:00 to 15:15 on 29 April 2006.

31 May 2005

Admitted breach of rule 4.3 of section II of part G of the Rules by the System Operator resulting from departing from the dispatch schedule for trading periods 47 and 48 on 6 September 2004.

31 May 2005

Admitted breach of rule 1.3.4.5 of schedule G6 of part G of the Rules by the System Operator as a result of incorrect remodelling of the Otahuhu substation in the SPD model.