The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) today, 16 December 2025, 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.
Access to contracts and related information will provide visibility of the underlying drivers influencing market participants’ behaviour, whether wholesale market outcomes reflect effective competition in those markets, and whether wholesale markets are operating efficiently. It will also provide valuable insights into how contract markets interact with spot markets, and how retail markets are impacted by wholesale markets.
Our improved understanding of these markets will be used to expand and enhance our market monitoring functions and our existing suite of reports, allowing us to provide timely and transparent information to market participants and policy makers.
Background and Purpose
One of the AER’s key functions is to monitor and report on the performance of wholesale 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.
Development process of final Order
While developing this Order, we consulted with stakeholders to seek their feedback on the draft Order.
We received 12 submissions from stakeholders who provided extensive feedback and views which informed the development of the final Order. Feedback from the submissions primarily focused on:
- the timing and frequency of information requirements in the Order
- the Class Members subject to the Order
- AER processes, policies and communications, including data-handling practices
- amendments to content, templates, questions and definitions
For a detailed summary of submissions and our consideration of feedback, please refer to our Explanatory Statement.