OUR INSIGHTS
Methane emissions reduction – A report on international policy and technology insights for the Australian fossil fuel sector
Gary Eisner, Jonathan Skippen and Freya Tanzer join Rennie Partners
Rennie Partners has come off to a flying start in 2022, adding three consultants to its expanding ranks.
2022 Reliability Standards and Settings Review
The Reliability Panel has kicked off its four-yearly review of the reliability standard and settings. The Panel will consider whether the form and level of the standard and settings are appropriate for expected and evolving market conditions.
AER Releases Draft Decision on 2022/23 Default Market Offer Prices
The AER has released its draft determination for retail electricity default market offer (DMO) prices to apply from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 (DMO 4). The DMO is the maximum price an electricity retailer can charge a standing offer customer each year.
Final Recommendations for the Victorian Embedded Networks Review
The review addressed a commitment to ban embedded networks in new apartment buildings, and enable customers living in existing embedded networks to have the same protections and opportunities as other consumers.
An Overview of the Connections Reform Roadmap
AER Releases Draft Export Tariff Guidelines
The AER has released draft Export Tariff Guidelines for consultation, which provide guidance about how distributors should define the basic export level for distributed energy resources (such as solar PV), and how they should develop and justify proposals for export pricing.
How will Water and Agriculture Fare in the Net Zero Transition?
All companies are exposed in some way to transition and physical climate change risks and opportunities. These risks fall differently on different sectors, and introduce different types of exposures. In this article we focus on agriculture and utility water supply as two industries exposed to both physical and transition risks.
ESB initiates Capacity Mechanism design
The Energy Security Board’s (ESB) final advice on the Post 2025 Market Design Review proposed a reform pathway for resource adequacy, including recommendation of a mechanism to explicitly value capacity in the rapidly changing National Electricity Market (NEM) over coming years.
REZ Access Rights and Scheme Design: Central-West Orana
Released in December 2021, the consultation paper sets out, and seeks feedback on, key design aspects of the NSW Government’s work to coordinate and encourage investment in the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) under its Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap.
Connections Reform Roadmap
The Connections Reform Roadmap was published in December 2021, as part of the Connections Reform Initiative jointly sponsored by AEMO and the CEC. The Roadmap outlines priority reforms, identified in collaboration with industry, needed to overcome the challenges in connecting generators to the grid.
AER releases Rate of Return Information Paper and calls for submissions
The Australian Energy Regulator released its 2022 Rate of Return Instrument Information Paper on 17 December 2021, which is the next step toward the final 2022 Instrument (due for publication in December 2022). It sets out six priority issues for further analysis and stakeholder feedback.
AEMO’s Draft 2022 Integrated System Plan
AEMO recently released the Draft 2022 Integrated System Plan (ISP), a whole of system plan which provides AEMO’s least cost development pathway for the National Electricity Market. AEMO has identified its ‘Step Change’ scenario as the most likely scenario.
AEMC Relies on Existing Roles to Govern DER Technical Standards
The AEMC published a draft rule determination on 16 December 2021 on the governance of DER technical standards. The draft determination is to not make a rule; the AEMC preferring to use existing powers and roles under energy laws to realise DER technical standards and integration.
AER Developing New Guidance for DER Integration
The AER is developing new guidance for DNSPs following the AEMC’s final determination on access, pricing and incentive arrangements for DER. The guidelines are intended to guide efficient levels of DER export investment and appropriate two-way price signals
Operating Reserves and Ramping Services – Design Choices and Implications
The AEMC recently extended its time to make draft determinations on operating reserves and ramping services until June 2023. These will now be published after the ESB’s final advice to Energy Ministers on a resource adequacy mechanism