The Retailer Reliability Obligation (RRO) is designed to support reliability in the National Electricity Market (NEM). The RRO is supported by a suite of AER guidelines, which provide detail on how the various stages of the RRO operate and impose obligations on entities involved in the RRO.
In addition to the AER’s specific roles in the administration of the RRO, the AER must monitor, investigate and enforce compliance with the RRO provisions.
The National Electricity Law (Electricity Law) requires the AER to make Reliability Compliance Procedures and Guidelines. The Guidelines may include, without limitation, guidance:
- for regulated entities about compliance with the reliability obligations under Part 2A of the Electricity Law;
- for regulated entities about the policies, systems and procedures that they must establish and observe to monitor their own compliance with the RRO;
- on the information and data liable entities are required to provide to the AER about compliance; and
- on carrying out compliance audits, including the costs payable by regulated entities for an audit carried out by or on behalf of the AER.
On 3 November 2022, the AER published an issues paper seeking stakeholder feedback on our proposed approach to the first version of the Guidelines.
On 3 March 2023, the AER published the draft Guidelines and accompanying draft decision. The draft decision detailed our draft determination, issues raised by the stakeholder submission to the previously published issues paper and the AER’s response, including the process we followed in considering those issues. We received no submissions on the draft Guidelines.
On 9 June 2023, the AER published the final Guidelines and accompanying final decision to support the RRO framework. The final decision details our determination and AER final positions.