Today the Reliability Panel (Panel) invited stakeholder submissions on the Issues Paper for the System Restart Standard (Standard).  The Panel seeks feedback on the proposed approach for the review, and on the contents of the Standard.

The System Restart Standard is part of the arrangements for restoration of the system in the National Electricity Market (NEM), in the event of a large scale loss of supply to both generators and consumers.  This consultation does not relate to activities to respond to localised loss of supply to local transmission or a distribution region.

Most generators require energy from the grid to be able to start generating electricity. If supply from the system is lost, these generators would not be capable of independently restarting if needed.

Some generators have specialised equipment that allows them to restart without external support. These generators would then be available to restore other generators, and hence begin restoring the system. AEMO purchases the ongoing availability of such generators as System Restart Ancillary Services (SRAS).  The more SRAS that is procured by AEMO the faster AEMO would be able to restore the supply of electricity, reducing the impact of the associated outage.

The Standard specifies the requirements that AEMO should meet when procuring SRAS.

In assessing the new Standard, the Panel must examine the trade-off between the ongoing cost for the provision of SRAS and the potential cost of an extended outage. In addition, the Panel will consider the physical underpinnings of the power system.

Submissions on the Issues Paper are due by 18 December 2015. In addition, the Panel will host a workshop on the issues raised during consultation during the first quarter of 2016.