AER invites submissions on its draft Service Classification Guideline

The AER has released the draft version of its Service Classification Guideline for electricity distribution businesses, along with the accompanying Explanatory Statement, for public consultation. The final Service Classification Guideline is due for release on or before 30 September 2018.

The purpose of the Service Classification Guideline is to improve clarity, transparency and predictability in the distribution service classification process. It does this by setting out our approach to classifying distribution services, along with specific examples of how we would classify a range of distribution services, given a certain set of market circumstances. These examples form the baseline list of distribution services, from which distribution businesses may vary, according to their particular circumstances.

Invitation for submissions

We are inviting submissions on the draft Service Classification Guideline, the baseline services list and accompanying explanatory statement by close of business Monday 13 August 2018. We prefer stakeholders to send submissions electronically to: classificationguideline2018aer [dot] gov [dot] au (subject: Guideline%20submission) (classificationguideline2018[at]aer[dot]gov[dot]au)

Alternatively, stakeholders can mail submissions to:

Mr Chris Pattas
General Manager, Networks
Australian Energy Regulator
GPO Box 520
Melbourne VIC 3001

We prefer all submissions be publicly available to facilitate an informed, transparent and robust consultation process. Accordingly, submissions will be treated as public documents unless prior arrangements are made with the AER to treat the submission, or portions of it, as confidential. We request parties wishing to submit confidential information to:

• clearly identify the information that is the subject of the confidentiality claim; and
• provide a non-confidential version of the submission.

We will place all non-confidential submissions on our website. For further information on our use and disclosure of information provided to us, see the AER/ACCC Information Policy