This amendment to the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 comes into force on 1 December 2026, except for clauses 39 to 61 which come into force on 1 June 2027.

The amendment amends Parts 1 and 6 of the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 (“Code”) to update the application processes for the connection of distributed generation and insert new application processes for the connection of load as part of the Authority’s Network Connections Project (Stage 1) by:

(a) replacing the application processes for connecting distributed generation of less than 10kW to distribution networks with two new processes, set out in Appendices 1 and 1A of Schedule 6.1;

(b) introducing a new application process for connecting distributed generation above 10kW but below 300kW, set out in Appendix 2 of Schedule 6.1;

(c) replacing the application process for connecting distributed generation over 10kW with a new process for connecting distributed generation of above 300kW, set out in Appendix 3 of Schedule 6.1;

(d) introducing a new application process for the connection of load above 69kVA and below 500kVA, set out in Appendix 4 of Schedule 6.1;

(e) introducing a new application process for the connection of load above 500kVA, set out in Appendix 5 of Schedule 6.1;

(f) introducing new requirements for distributors in managing and prioritising applications to connect, including the introduction of the obligation to maintain a network connections pipeline in accordance with the queueing and management policy that is to be developed jointly by distributors;

(g) amending the information that distributors must publish and what information is confidential, providing for better protection of information that is commercially sensitive to applicants; and

(h) making further consequential amendments to reflect these updated and new application processes.

The new processes introduced by the amendment will come into force in two stages with the amendments relating to connection of distributed generation taking effect on 1 December 2026 and the amendments relating to connection of load taking effect on 1 June 2027.