The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) today published its first Electricity Market Monitoring Information Order (MMIO-ELEC-2025-02) and accompanying Explanatory Statement.
This Order follows the publication of the Wholesale Market Monitoring Guideline, which sets out the AER’s general approach to its expanded functions in monitoring and reporting on wholesale gas markets, and electricity and gas contract markets.
In developing this Order, we have learned from prior consultation on an initial draft Electricity Order (MMIO-ELEC-2025-01), which was consulted in November and December 2024. We received comprehensive feedback during this consultation, and, given the enduring nature of the Order, the AER decided not to make MMIO-ELEC-2025-01 while we continued to consider the feedback.
Across September and November 2025, we consulted on a new draft Order (MMIO-ELEC-2025-02) which was drafted with consideration of the feedback received in 2024.
We received 12 submissions on the draft MMIO-ELEC-2025-02 which informed the development of the final Order. For a detailed summary of submissions and our consideration of stakeholder feedback, please refer to our Explanatory Statement.
The initial submission date under this Order is 31 March 2026, with ongoing submission requirements outlined in the Order.
Requests for more information should be sent to the Contract Market Monitoring Team at ContractMarketMonitoring
aer [dot] gov [dot] au (ContractMarketMonitoring[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au).
Purpose
Since 2016, one of the AER’s key functions is to monitor and report on the performance of wholesale energy markets.
By regularly and systematically monitoring and reviewing the performance of monitored markets, we identify and analyse whether there is effective competition and efficient functioning in relation to the wholesale markets.
We report on these monitoring activities through a suite of reports including biennial competition reports. Our regular reporting exists to provide confidence in our energy systems, support efficient decision making by market participants, and enable well-informed decision making by policy makers.
To date, we have relied primarily on public information to assess the performance of wholesale markets. This information provides us with an understanding of market participants’ conduct and outcomes in wholesale markets. However, publicly available information provides very limited visibility of participants’ contracting behaviour.
Through the collection and monitoring of contract-related information, we will build a more holistic view of wholesale markets which will significantly improve our capability to evaluate performance, competition and efficiency in these markets.