The Reliability Panel’s work program is set by requirements in the National Electricity Rules (NER) and through terms of reference received from the AEMC. The Panel uses these to guide its strategic direction such that it may offer robust industry insights to its stakeholders.

The Panel has three main strategic goals for the future work program in 2022:

  1. To provide thought leadership on reliability and security in a changing power system,
  2. To help deliver co-ordinated energy reforms, and
  3. To enhance awareness of the Panel and strengthen its stakeholder engagement.

Thought leadership on reliability and security

The Panel is looking to expand its ability to provide thought leadership through future standards, guidelines and settings for reliability and security. Thought leadership will stimulate discussion and debate with industry, consumers and governments on options for the reliability and security of the changing power system. This will complement the Panel’s engagement and co-ordination with other market bodies such as the ESB, AEMC, AEMO and the AER.

In respect of its 2022 work program, the Panel has identified the following opportunities to provide thought leadership:

  • In the Reliability Standard and Settings Review, by considering the options and approaches available to assessing reliability and defining a reliability standard suitable for a changing power system,
  • In the Frequency Operating Standard Review, by expressing forward-looking insights on frequency control in the NEM and the interaction between the FOS and related work underway by the AEMC and AEMO. This includes consideration of how to manage power system resilience risks and the related costs, and
  • In the Annual Market Performance Review, by providing additional consideration to changing power system dynamics and system security needs.

A co-ordinated energy reform agenda

The Panel performs its decision making and advisory functions in the context of ongoing market reform programs involving the Energy Security Board (ESB), AEMC, and jurisdictional bodies.

Given the interactions between the reform programs being performed by these parties and the Panel's functions and powers, effective co-ordination is of high importance. As an example, the Panel's review of the reliability standard that will apply through to July 2028 is being coordinated with the ESB’s progression of its resource adequacy workstream following its post-2025 final reforms package.

In its 2022 work program, the Panel will co-ordinate with the ESB to determine the reliability standard and market settings.

Stakeholder engagement

The Panel recognises that engaging with stakeholders across the industry is critical to perform its functions, provide thought leadership and co-ordinate with other reform processes. Comprehensive stakeholder engagement is necessary to understand a range of perspectives and effectively manage competing interests.

In its 2022 work program, the Panel has identified a number of goals to enhance its engagement with stakeholders across the sector:

  • To provide clear and accessible communication that builds confidence in the role and work of the Panel,
  • To increase opportunities to engage, listen, inform and, where appropriate, collaborate on policy making, and
  • To deepen engagement around and beyond the work program, including proactively seeking to understand issues and priorities for all stakeholders in the sector. 

Upcoming projects

The Panel will be embedding its strategic goals into its 2022 work program. This includes the following projects.

To be completed in 2022:

Beginning in 2022:

  • Frequency Operating Standard Review
  • Review of the reviewable incidents guidelines
  • AEMO protected event declaration application.