AER - Consultation paper - Options to address gaps in the transmission ring-fencing framework - 12 May 2023

On 12 March 2023, the AER published a consultation paper seeking stakeholder feedback on whether changes to the National Electricity Rules are required to limit any ability of electricity transmission network service providers to discriminate in favour of themselves or an affiliate when providing connection services.

Survey of transmission connection applicants

As part of the consultation process, the AER is also conducting a survey of market participants who have connected, or are in the process of connecting, to the transmission network. The purpose of the survey is to identify any actual or potential discrimination by TNSPs during the connections process.

The results of this survey alongside responses to the consultation paper will assist the AER’s assessment of the materiality of the problem identified in the consultation paper. This will inform the AER’s next steps; whether to pursue a rule change request, and if so, which option would be most effective to address the issues identified by stakeholders. Survey respondents will have the option to request that their responses be kept anonymous, but the AER may use de-identified aggregated information from the survey to inform any possible rule change request.

The survey closes on 9 June 2023. Alternatively, if connecting parties would like to discuss their survey responses with the AER, they may contact AERringfencingaer [dot] gov [dot] au (AERringfencing[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au) to set up a meeting to discuss.