The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has decided to change the final decision release dates of our network revenue determinations for the five Victorian electricity distribution businesses and three gas service providers, which are due at the end of April 2016. We now intend to release the final decisions for these processes by the end of May 2016.
We are currently assessing revised revenue proposals from AusNet Services, CitiPower, Powercor, Jemena and United Energy for the 2016–20 regulatory control period (Victoria), and from Australian Gas Networks (South Australia), ActewAGL (ACT) and Amadeus Gas Pipeline (NT) for 2016–21.
On 26 February 2016, the Australian Competition Tribunal made an important decision on AER revenue determinations for NSW and ACT electricity, and NSW gas distribution networks. The Tribunal directed us to remake our decisions in relation to the electricity networks’ operating expenses, the cost of corporate income tax, and the cost of debt.
We applied to the Federal Court for judicial review of the Tribunal’s decisions on these matters on 24 March 2016.
Our consideration of the Tribunal’s decision and grounds of review was intensive, and affected our work on the Victorian electricity distribution determinations and gas access agreement decisions. Therefore, we have extended the timetables for these processes by one month. This will still allow our final decisions to form the basis for network charges for the upcoming regulatory years.