On 15 September 2026, Essential Energy submitted a cost pass through application seeking to recover costs it has incurred as a result of the North Coast Weather Event which occurred from March to May 2025. This weather event included Tropical Cyclone Alfred in March and the mid-North Coast floods in May, which caused significant damage to Essential Energy’s distribution network in NSW.
Invitation for submissions
We invite energy consumers and other interested parties to make submissions on Essential Energy’s cost pass through application by close of business 29 October 2026.
The AER’s role is to determine whether a positive change event as defined in the National Electricity Rules (NER) has occurred, and if so, what is the incremental revenue amount which should be passed through to network users. To best assist and inform the AER in making its determination, interested parties may wish to address the following questions:
- Does the 2025 North Coast Weather Event meet the definition of a cost pass through event, specifically a natural disaster event, under Essential Energy’s current revenue determination?
- Is the increase in costs that Essential Energy has incurred as a result of the event material?
- Are the costs identified by Essential Energy incremental to costs already allowed for in its current revenue determination, and related solely to the occurrence of the pass through event?
- Are the costs incurred by Essential Energy in relation to the event efficient and prudent in the circumstances?
- Are the decisions and actions Essential Energy has taken in relation to the event efficient?
- Are there any other factors the AER should take into account in making its determination?
Submissions should be emailed Attention: Ben Stonehouse, Acting General Manager, Network Expenditure at costpassthroughs
aer [dot] gov [dot] au (costpassthroughs[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au).
Alternatively, you may mail submissions to:
Mr Ben Stonehouse
Acting General Manager
Australian Energy Regulator
GPO Box 520
Melbourne, Victoria, 3001
We prefer that all submissions be publicly available to facilitate an informed and transparent consultative process. We will treat submissions as public documents unless otherwise requested. All non-confidential submissions will be placed on the AER's website. For further information regarding the AER's use and disclosure of information provided to it, see the ACCC/AER Information Policy.
We request parties wishing to submit confidential information:
- clearly identify the information that is the subject of the confidentiality claim
- provide a non-confidential version of the submission in a form suitable for publication.