On 27 March 2025 the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) published a final determination and final rule to remove Electricity Transmission Information Guidelines (the Information Guidelines).

The rule means that:

• Transmission Network Service Providers (TNSPs) will not need to provide the same information to the AER under both the Annual Information Orders for transmission networks (the Orders) and the Information Guidelines.  
• the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) will not need to publish and maintain the Information Guidelines.  

The AEMC considers that removing the Information Guidelines will eliminate inefficient duplication of TNSP reporting obligations.

Background

On 15 October 2024, the AEMC received a rule change request from the AER to amend the National Electricity Rules to remove the requirement on the AER to publish  the Information Guidelines and for TNSPs to report against them.  

The AER considered that the information it requires is now provided through its annual information Orders, so that the Information Guidelines are no longer needed. It considered that the Information Guidelines and associated reporting obligations should be removed from the rules to avoid a duplicate regulatory burden.

On 30 January 2025, the AEMC published a consultation paper based on the AER’s rule change request. Stakeholder feedback was sought on whether the rule change should be expedited, and on the proposed changes to the NER.  

The AEMC received two objections to the rule change being progressed as expedited – non-controversial. The Commission has considered the objections.  

Based on reasoning set out in the letters provided in response, the Commission has decided to continue with this rule change being progressed as expedited – non-controversial.    

Objections to the expedited process closed on 13 February 2025.

Submissions to the consultation paper closed on 27 February 2025. The AEMC received no additional submissions to the proposed changes to the NER.