PIAC made a submission to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) on the contingent project applications from TransGrid and ElectraNet for Project EnergyConnect.
PIAC opposes Project EnergyConnect proceeding under the current regulatory framework as we consider is unfairly allocates costs and does not present a good return for consumers. The project’s costs have increased substantially while net benefits have declined 84% and NSW consumer will pay the majority of costs despite most benefits accruing to South Australian consumers.
We strongly recommend pausing the regulatory process for Project EnergyConnect to reconsider whether it is in the long-term interests of consumers for it to proceed under the current risk and cost allocation frameworks.
