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Minister’s changes go unnoticed

State Energy Ministers slips one past WA energy market

WA’s Energy Minister, Ben Wyatt, made 2 changes to electricity market rules just a day before his powers were due to expire, with little notification and consultation with market participants.

MLA Wyatt has extended the period for which he has the power to make rule changes by 12 months, to July 1, 2018.

He has also changed the powers given to the Australian Energy Market Operator, allowing them to force the shutdown of generation facility not providing satisfactory data. This seems to reflect similar changes made following the collapse of the electricity supply sustained in South Australia in 2016.

While these changes are reasonable in nature, concern exists around the lack of consultation and notification to market participants.

Amanda Energy believes that market participants should have the chance to participate in the discussion on rules changes that potentially have significant commercial effects. The changes made by the Minister last month seem to have skirted expected rule change processes; future rule  changes could threaten the viability of market participants or their customers.

Amanda Energy calls on the regulator to ensure due process in the consultation and notification of rule changes to ensure the successful operation of all participants.