On 28 September 2021, Essential Energy submitted an application to the AER under clause 6.6.1 of the National Electricity Rules for a positive pass through of costs related to changes to its licence conditions which require Essential Energy to strengthen its cyber and physical security (critical infrastructure licence conditions). Essential Energy's application proposes to recover $33.2 million (positive pass through) from electricity users through an increase in distribution prices in each of the remaining two years of the current regulatory control period, that is, from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2024.

Energy consumers and other interested parties were invited to make submissions on Essential Energy's critical infrastructure licence condition pass through application by 2 November 2021.

On 16 December 2021 we issued a notice to Essential Energy extending the time limit for making a decision on its critical infrastructure licence conditions pass through application in accordance with clause 6.6.1(k1) of the National Electricity Rules. As a result, the time limit for making our determination as been extended to 19 April 2022.