Authority welcomes MBIE investigation into electricity supply interruptions of 9 August 2021

The Electricity Authority welcomes the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) report ‘Investigation into electricity supply interruptions of 9 August 2021’ commissioned by the Minister of Energy and Resources following the 9 August electricity cuts.

We have been communicating regularly with MBIE as part of its investigation while continuing to progress our own pieces of work in relation to the 9 August event.

We are considering the recommendations made in the report and will respond to MBIE as soon as possible. The Authority will discuss the recommendations with Transpower to ensure a comprehensive and cohesive response.

The Authority already has work underway that responds to some of the recommendations, including:

• working closely with Transpower following the 9 August event and monitoring its response to the Authority’s phase one review which found shortcomings in the system operator’s tools and communication protocols,
• ongoing improvements to the management of the market operation service providers, including Transpower,
• the implementation of new consumer care guidelines, plus additional resources to support participant and consumer understanding of the guidelines, and
• improving our communication with participants and consumers with a focus on education
• ensuring the electricity system remains secure and resilient in the coming decades as part of our future security and resilience project.

You can read MBIE’s report on its website(external link).