We support the AER’s statement that ‘the imposition of a static zero limit should be a rare event that happens in exceptional circumstances only.’
Our submission emphasises the following.

• Consumers see the growth of rooftop solar in Australia as a positive, not a problem.
• The Australian Energy Market Commission’s (AEMC) rule change made clear that consumers have the right to access a basic export service and networks have an obligation to provide one.
• Networks should be required to regularly communicate the status of their hosting capacity (and the calculations, methodologies and data used to determine their hosting capacity) to the communities they operate in and the broader industry to provide the most effective investment signals.
• In the rare and specific circumstances where the network is not able to deliver a basic export service to a consumer or community, they must be required to directly communicate the reasons for this (including their calculations, methodologies and data used to determine these reasons) to the consumer, and their agents such as solar retailers and installers.
• These actions will help increase transparency into how networks determine hosting capacity. This transparency is essential for building trust within communities and ensuring existing infrastructure is being used as efficiently as possible.