On 15 March 2019 the South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS) lodged a dispute notice with the AER disputing the option choice presented in South Australian Electricity Transformation Project Assessment Conclusions Report (PACR) in relation to the application of the regulatory investment test for transmission (RIT-T) associated with gas plant retirement in favour of a 330kV South Australia/New South Wales interconnector.

SACOSS asserts the RIT-T report does not adequately address risks in the proposed special protection scheme (SPS) to maintain baseline power following the decommissioning of the gas plants, especially the response of the system to extreme conditions. SACOSS also asserts the combined interconnector capacities may not be achievable if the SPS cannot be implemented as intended resulting in a potential decline in net benefits of over 75%.