The AER has today released its Annual Information Orders and an accompanying AER decision.
The Orders impose annual reporting obligations on regulated electricity networks and are made by the AER using our information gathering powers under the National Electricity Law (NEL).
Following consultation with electricity networks, we have amended the Orders to:
- take into account feedback on new and existing data requirements
- address issues relating to requirements to provide supporting information such as policies and procedures, regulatory adjustments and safety events.
We expect these changes will drive quality improvements to the way the AER collects data by increasing consistency and clarity about data inter-relationships. Substantial efficiencies are also expected in our internal processing and ongoing management of networks information, as well as by enabling electricity networks to improve the efficiency of their information reporting.
The Orders are a key output from the AER's Networks Information Requirements Review. The Review, beginning in March 2022, focussed on the information we collect from and about regulated electricity networks.
At its core, the Review has been about driving improvements in the quality of the information about regulated networks that we use and share.