Capacity Adequacy Standard [Closing date: 2008/06/13 17:00:00 GMT+12]

The Electricity Amendment Act 2004 (Act) and the Government Policy Statement on Electricity Governance (GPS) establish a responsibility for the Commission to manage the security of supply of electricity.

The Government has recently published a revised draft of the GPS which includes a requirement for the Commission to develop a standard for adequacy of capacity to meet peak demand.  While the Government has yet to finalise and release the revised GPS the Commission anticipates that the requirement to develop an adequacy standard will be included.

The Commission has developed a proposed methodology for determining a capacity adequacy standard, a proposed form of that standard, and an indicative level to apply until 2012.

The Commission has drafted two papers. The first, Development of a Capacity Adequacy Standard Overview, is a companion paper to the consultation paper Development of a Capacity Adequacy Standard - Consultation Paper. The companion paper places the consultation paper in a wider context, and explains the key conclusions of that paper. The Commission is not seeking feedback on this paper.

• Development of a Capacity Adequacy Standard Overview pdf [42 KB]- updated on 3 June 2008
  

The Commission invites comment on the consultation paper.

• Development of a Capacity Adequacy Standard - Consultation paper pdf [553 KB]

The Commission should receive written submissions no later than 5.00pm on 13 June 2008.  Please note that submissions received after this deadline may not be considered.

A number of specific questions that the Commission would like submitters to focus on have been included in the paper.  The questions are listed in Section 9.

To assist the Commission in its consideration, please supply evidence of facts and analysis to support your views wherever possible.

The Commission’s preference is to receive submissions in electronic form (Microsoft Word).  It is not necessary for parties submitting to send the Commission hard copies of their submissions, unless it is not possible to do so electronically.  Submissions in electronic form should be emailed with “Security of Supply Policy Consultation Paper” in the subject header.  Submissions should be sent to

Maree McGregor
Electricity Commission
Level 7, ASB Tower
2 Hunter Street
PO Boz 10041
Wellington
New Zealand

Tel: (04) 460 8860
Fax: (04)460 8879

info@electricitycommission.govt.nz

The Commission will acknowledge receipt of all submissions by email.  Please contact Maree McGregor at the Commission if you do not receive electronic acknowledgement of your submission within two business days. 

To foster an informed and transparent process, the Commission intends to publish all submissions received on its website (http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz). 

Please indicate any documents attached in support of your submission in a covering letter and clearly indicate any information that is provided to the Commission on a confidential basis.  If your submission contains confidential material, please provide to the Commission both confidential and public versions of your submission, in both electronic and hard copy forms.  The responsibility for ensuring that confidential information is not included in a public version of a submission rests entirely with the party making the submission.

Submitters should note that the contents of submissions on this paper provided to the Commission will be among the information the Commission holds which is subject to public release under the Official Information Act 1982 (Official Information Act).  If the Commission receives a request for the release of information contained in a submission, it will be required to consider the release of the submission, in whole or in part, in terms of the criteria set out in the Official Information Act.  This would be done in consultation with the submitter.  The Commission can withhold official information in certain circumstances, which are set out in the Official Information Act.  Any decision by the Commission to withhold information is subject to review by the Ombudsman.

In order to test all information contained in submissions as fully as possible in a transparent manner, the Commission discourages requests for non-disclosure of submissions, in whole or in part.