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)(6)(d) of the Act.
3. A brief description of the nature of the amendments is as follows:
(a) a reduction in the forecast horizon for the System Operator’s System Security Forecast (“SSF”) from 10 years to a period of not less than three years; and
(b) minor drafting amendments.
4. The minor drafting amendments are made in reliance on section 172F(3) of the Act.
5. Pursuant to section 172Z(4) of the Act, the reasons for my decision to amend the Rules are that:
(a) the rule change addresses an identified difficulty with the 10 year horizon prescribed in the current Rules that has resulted in possibly misleading and confusing information being published in some circumstances in the later years of the SSF forecast horizon; and
(b) the rule change provides the System Operator with some discretion to determine the appropriate horizon as circumstances change over time, or from region to region.
6. These rules come into force on 20 July 2009.
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 15th day of June 2009.
HON GERRY BROWNLEE, Minister of Energy and Resources.