The Authority has released a consultation paper proposing amendments to the Electricity Information Exchange Protocols (EIEP). The Authority has:

The paper is available at:

The Authority is conducting an uncapped electricity registry licence trial to assess the potential for improving operating efficiency for participants.

Currently registry licences are allocated by the Authority to participants using a formula based on participants' registered ICP numbers. Participants have advised the Authority that this allocation of licences causes inefficiencies. The registry hardware has been upgraded and for a three-month trial period the registry service provider (Jade Software Corporation Limited) will lift the cap on registry licenses, allowing participants to have as many users logged on as required.

Jade will monitor the peak registry users and peak and average response times on a weekly basis, with the trail scheduled to end on 31 March 2012.

In the event that the trial has a significant detrimental impact on system usability, Jade will stop the trial and re-instate licence restrictions. Participants will be notified accordingly. If participants have any questions or experience issues during the trial period, please contact the registry engineer directly at registry.engineer@jadeworld.com

The Authority is completing an Electricity Commission initiated review of the value of lost load (VoLL), specified in clause 4 of schedule 12.2 of the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 (Code). The current VoLL is $20,000/MWh.

The Commission undertook research and analysis in 2009 and 2010 to identify a value or range of values of VoLL that are relevant to New Zealand electricity consumers. A summary of the results of this research is available at:

The Authority intends to consult on the Code implications of the VoLL project findings towards the middle of 2012. The Authority is particularly interested in considering an option of a matrix-based approach to estimating VoLL on the basis that this may enable a customised VoLL to be determined for a region, or a selected portion of a transmission or distribution network.

The proposed Code amendment consultation paper will include further details of the methodology and approach used to develop the VoLL figures.

The Authority has signed and gazetted a Code Amendment substituting a new Part 10 of the Code (which regulates metering arrangements) and making consequential and parallel amendments to Parts 1, 11 and 15. The Code Amendment comes into force on 6 June 2013.

The Gazette notice and Code Amendment are available at:
http://www.ea.govt.nz/act-code-regs/code-regs/code-changes/2011/

The Authority will continue to analyse the data access and MEP nomination issues. Options will be presented to the Authority's Board in March 2012.

On 13 December 2011, there was an under-frequency trip on a number of grid exit points (GXPs) as the grid responded to the sudden loss of 800MW of generation at Huntly early in period 26.

As a consequence, energy prices were published as interim for 13 and 14 December 2011, and three pricing errors were claimed for interim pricing: two claims for 13 December and one claim for 14 December. The Authority reviewed these claims, but disagreed that a pricing error had occurred.

Energy prices were published as final for these two days on 28 December 2011.

The Authority has been alerted to instances where retailers attempting to comply with registry-related Code obligations may be creating practical difficulties for other registry users.

These instances are occurring where the meter in a category-one metering installation is removed, and the relevant ICP on the registry has its status updated to inactive and its metering installation category updated to zero (unmetered).

The Authority considers that because the metering installation has been removed, the concept of any metering installation category number is incongruous.

The Authority advises that retailers should leave the metering installation category field unchanged in these situations and instead update the 'primary metering contact' field with 'MNON', which denotes that there is no meter at the ICP. This combination of field settings will best alert distributors and any future retailers of the actual situation at the ICP.

The Authority is calling for nominations for four members for the Security and Reliability Council (SRC).

The SRC provides independent advice to the Authority on reliability of supply issues and on the performance of the electricity system and the system operator. It comprises senior members of the New Zealand electricity industry, including consumers.

Two of the nominations are sought due to resignations and the Authority acknowledges the contribution provided by the resigning members: Tim Lusk and Roger Sutton. The other two nominations are sought due to expiry of initial 1-year terms.

Three appointments will be for 3-year terms and the fourth appointment will be for 2 years.

The Authority intends to appoint the new members by 31 March 2012, prior to the first meeting for the year in April. Nominations should be emailed to info@ea.govt.nz, with 'Nomination for SRC members' in the subject line by 4.00 pm on Tuesday, 31 January 2012.

More information about the SRC including Terms of Reference is available at:

The Authority has published an update of its consultation calendar for key projects which is available at:

The Market Administrator gives notice to participants that Monday 23 January 2012 (Wellington Anniversary Day) is declared to be a non-business day.