Stage: 1 (Enquiry) Status: Completed Date commenced: 7 August 2013

The high spring washer resolution process was invoked which marginally reduced prices at Lichfield and Kinleith to $8,318/MWh and $6,510/MWh respectively. These prices were published as final.

Our initial consideration of the events of 20 June 2013 indicated that a number of contributing factors caused the transmission security constraint in the Kinleith region to bind resulting in the increased spot prices in the region.

The high spring washer resolution process operated as intended and indicated that the high spot prices in the constrained region were marginally sensitive to adjustments in the binding transmission security constraint limit.

Letter from Carter Holt Harvey 1st Aug

Carter Holt Harvey has written to the Authority requesting a market performance review to consider the conditions and events leading to this event

Authority response to Carter Holt Harvey 6th Aug

We decided some of the issues raised in Carter Holt Harvey’s request warrants further analysis and we initiated the enquiry. The decision to extend this to market performance review will be made following the results of the market performance enquiry.

Market performance enquiriy

High spring washer effect - System Operator website(external link)