Accel Energy Retail Pty Ltd (ACN 122 144 709) withdrew its licence application on 22 June 2022. 

Updated reporting requirements

On 24 July 2024, we updated our direction to distribution businesses to report against their revised Greenfields Negotiated Electricity Connection Customer Service Standards (standards). 

On 21 December 2023, the Minister for Energy made a Ministerial Order specifying several performance reporting metrics related to negotiated connections as enforceable. These enforceable metrics were based on the performance reporting framework component of the standards.

Our new reporting direction aligned the reporting timeframes of the standards with the reporting timeframes of the Ministerial Order. 

This direction also specified the manner and form in which electricity distributors must report to us on the performance reporting required under section 7(3)(c) of the Ministerial Order.

Reporting must be made to the commission every six months for the periods:

• 1 January to 30 June – reporting due by 31 August that year.
• 1 July to 31 December – reporting due 31 March the following year.

Templates and letters specifying the updated reporting directions to electricity distributors can be found in the resources tab.

Previous reporting requirements

On 27 March 2023, we made a final decision directing distribution businesses to report on their performance against revised Greenfields Negotiated Electricity Connection Customer Service Standards when working with developers and contractors to connect new housing developments to electricity.

We first directed distributors to report against the Greenfields Negotiated Electricity Connection Customer Service Standards in March 2021.

Distribution businesses are required to report to the commission every six months for the regulatory period from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2026.

The customer service standards include:

• an overarching customer outcomes statement setting out what a distribution business expects to deliver over the next three years in relation to negotiated connections
• a requirement to form a consultative committee that meets regularly to discuss improvements in negotiated connection processes
• a performance reporting framework that distribution businesses are to report against every six months.

View reports against the customer service standards

Distribution business reports against their customer service standards can be found in the resources tab.

Overview

In 2022, we developed a statement of expectations in relation to how transmission companies access land. The statement of expectations took effect on 1 June 2022 and remained in place until 29 February 2024. On 1 March 2024, the Land Access Code of Practice came into effect. Transmission companies are now required to comply with the Land Access Code of Practice and provide monthly performance reports in accordance with the Land Access Code of Practice.

Landowners, parties with interest in land, and electricity transmission companies are critical partners in the delivery of major energy projects and the provision of essential services. This statement of expectations sought to achieve a balance between the statutory right to access private lands and the rights of those affected by that exercise of that power.

This statement of expectations did not relate to decisions regarding the route of transmission projects or the decisions about whether to proceed with these projects.

Land access can be done through a voluntary agreement between a transmission company and a landowner. If a voluntary arrangement cannot be reached, transmission companies have powers under section 93 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 to access land compulsorily.

The statement comprises of a set of principles outlining how electricity transmission companies were expected to exercise their powers according to section 93 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000 to access land until the Land Access Code of Practice came into effect.

Consultation 

We released the draft statement of expectations for public consultation on 24 March 2022.

Consultation originally ran from 24 March to 12 April. Following stakeholder feedback, we extended the consultation period to 19 April. During this period, we held two events: a public webinar on 4 April and an industry forum on 5 April. Together, these events had over 50 attendees.

We received 32 submissions to the draft statement of expectations. Of these, six submitters requested confidentiality (AusNet provided a public and confidential submission and is not counted as part of our confidential submissions).

We have published all non-confidential submissions in the resources tab of this page, as part of our publishing process for the final statement of expectations. If you made a confidential submission, but would like to make your submission public, please email energyreform@esc.vic.gov.au.