The AEMC is pleased to announce the appointment of four members to the Reliability Panel (Panel).

The new Panel members are:

• Lance Balcombe, Chief Executive Officer of TasNetworks has been appointed as the transmission network service provider representative on the Panel for a period of three years.  Mr Balcombe was appointed Chief Executive of TasNetworks in 2013. He previously was Chief Financial Officer at Hydro Tasmania where he held senior management positions for 13 years.
• Miles George, Managing Director of Infigen Energy Ltd has been appointed as the Generator representative on the Panel for a period of three years.  Mr George has over 20 years’ experience in business development, investment, financing and management roles in the infrastructure and energy sectors in Australia, the US and Europe. Over the past 15 years he has been focused on development, investment, financing and operations management in the renewable energy industry.
• Mark Collette, Executive Energy at EnergyAustralia has been appointed as a discretionary member on the Panel for a period of three years.  Mark has worked for EnergyAustralia since 2003 where he leads all electricity generation and energy trading activities. In former roles, Mr Collette has held executive responsibility for wholesale markets, corporate strategy and development, policy and government affairs and commercial and industrial sales.

The appointments of the TNSP representative and generator representative were made following a selection and voting process.

We are also pleased to reappoint Chris Murphy, Manager Regulatory and Commercial at Meridian Energy to the Panel as a discretionary member for an additional two years.  Mr Murphy has been a member of the Panel for four years. In previous roles in the electricity industry he has been responsible for distribution revenue, system-wide load forecasting, tariff development and regulatory affairs. 

The Commission also wishes to thank the three outgoing Panel Members: Merryn York, Chief Executive Officer, Powerlink; Stephen Davy, Chief Executive Officer, Hydro Tasmania; and Nick Sankey, Managing Director Utilities, Commonwealth Bank for their valued contributions to the Reliability Panel.

The Panel is established by the AEMC under the National Electricity Law. Its core functions relate to the safety, security and reliability of the national electricity system. Its work program is driven by specific requirements set out in the National Electricity Rules (Rules). Generally, the focus of the Panel’s work is on determining standards and guidelines which help to maintain a secure and reliable power system.

It makes a number of technical standards and guidelines, as well as undertaking reviews and providing advice on matters relating to power system security and reliability of supply.

The Panel is comprised of members who represent a range of participants in the national electricity market, including market institutions, generators, network businesses, consumers and large end users. The Rules require that the Panel must comprise the following membership:

• a Commissioner of the AEMC appointed to act as Chairperson of the Panel;
• the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Energy Market Operator or its delegate;
•  four members that represent Registered Participants including:
  • Generators;
  • Market Customers;
  • Transmission Network Service Providers (TNSPs);
  • Distribution Network Service Providers; and

• a person representing the interests of end use customers for electricity.

The AEMC has some discretion to appoint up to three members who may have expertise in areas that are not otherwise represented by other Panel members.

For more information on the Reliability Panel, please refer to its webpage