We appreciate that the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has decided to review important issues associated with Transmission Planning and Investment and thank them for providing the opportunity to make a submission to their Consultation Paper.

Consumers are and will continue to pay for transmission investments for decades so ensuring that the regulatory framework for assessing and approving transmission investments are fit-for-purpose is imperative.

Two major transitions sit at the heart of today’s Australian energy system and are inextricably linked. Navigating these two transitions – and the regulatory frameworks that enable us to successfully plan and invest in the infrastructure required – is not simple. As such, we hope that this consultation is not just the beginning of a review of the regulatory framework for transmission investments, but the start of a holistic, deliberate review of the planning and regulatory frameworks for the whole system. Better forecasting of energy demand and consumer needs is key to determining the need for largescale generation and storage and therefore transmission.

Read our full submission here.