On 26 May 2020, the AEMC received a rule change request from the COAG Energy Council seeking to amend the National Electricity Rules (NER) to clarify the applicability of NER provisions during market suspension. This rule change request was recommended in the AEMC’s Mechanisms to Enhance Resilience in the Power System – Review of the South Australian Black System Event report published in December 2019, which considered systemic issues that contributed to the black system event in South Australia.
On 17 December 2020, the AEMC released a consultation paper to seek feedback on the issues and solution identified by the COAG Energy Council in its rule change request. The consultation considers whether the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) should be afforded the flexibility to prioritise compliance with NER provisions during market suspension, particularly in situations where it may not be possible to comply with two obligations simultaneously.
The AER made a submission to the AEMC’s draft rule determination on 3 February 2021.
AER submission - AEMC market suspension rule change - Consultation paper - 3 February 2021
More information can be found on the AEMC website; Prioritising arrangements for system security during market suspension rule change.