Notice Type
Authorities/Other Agencies of State
Notice Title

Notice of Making of Electricity Governance (Availability and Reliability Index Measures) Amendment Rules 2009 and Notice of Reasons

for Decision
1. Pursuant to section 172I of the Electricity Act 1992 ("Act"), I notify the amendment of the Electricity Governance Rules 2003 ("Rules") under section 172H of the Act.
2. The empowering provisions for the Electricity Governance Regulations in relation to which the amendments to the Rules are made are sections 172D(1)(3) and 172D(1)(4) of the Act.
3. The Rules are amended by adding the availability and reliability index measures as a new schedule F6A of Section VI of Part F of the Rules.
4. The new schedule comprises a series of index measures prepared by Transpower New Zealand Limited ("Transpower") that show the availability and reliability of each category of interconnection branch, or shunt asset, and of the HVDC link. Each year Transpower must publish and provide to the Electricity Commission an annual report on the availability and reliability of each interconnection asset, against the index measures.
5. Pursuant to section 172Z(4) of the Act, the reasons for my decision to amend the Rules are that:
(a) this amendment is part of the "asset availability" approach of the Rules that require Transpower to make its interconnection assets available in accordance with specified measures; and
(b) the measures can be used by grid users to note exactly what interconnection assets must be made available, how they are configured, and at what capacity. Transpower is then required to report against these measures.
6. These rules come into force on 1 February 2010.
7. Copies of the Rules may be inspected free of charge or purchased from the Electricity Commission, Level 7, ASB Bank Tower, 2 Hunter Street, Wellington.
8. The Rules can also be viewed on the Electricity Commission’s website
http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz/rulesandregs/rules
Dated at Wellington this 27th day of November 2009.
HON GERRY BROWNLEE, Minister of Energy and Resources.