The Australian Energy Market Commission has published further advice to the COAG Energy Council aimed at making it easier for businesses to do test runs of innovative ways to deliver energy services to consumers.

The advice is on rules to implement regulatory sandbox arrangements in the national electricity and gas markets.

A regulatory sandbox is a framework within which participants can test innovative concepts in the market under relaxed regulatory requirements at a smaller scale, on a time-limited basis and with appropriate safeguards in place.

Regulatory sandbox arrangements will make it easier for businesses to develop and trial innovative approaches to providing energy services to consumers.

On 26 September 2019 the AEMC released a final report that set out a pathway to introduce regulatory sandbox arrangements and enable proof-of-concept trials in the national energy markets.

At its meeting on 22 November 2019 the COAG Energy Council agreed to our report recommendations. The Council also asked us to provide further advice on the required rule changes. This included stakeholder feedback on the proposed rule drafting provided in our final report as well as a final recommended package of rule changes.

The final recommended package of rule changes published on our website today incorporates changes in response to 15 stakeholder submissions on the draft rules.  

The COAG Energy Council will separately develop law changes and conduct stakeholder consultation before the law changes are submitted to the South Australian Parliament. The AEMC’s recommended rule drafting will need to be updated to reflect the final form of law changes.

Media: Kellie Bisset, Media and Content Manager, 0438 490 041; (02) 8296 7813