Tuesday, 11 December 2001
Proposed Rulebook Entrenches Supply Side Dominance Of The Electricity Industry
“After 12 months of attempting to put together a new combined rulebook for the electricity industry, the proposed
rulebook submitted by the Electricity Governance Establishment Committee (EGEC) for authorisation by the Commerce
Commission preserves the supply side dominance of the rule making processes said the Chairman of the Major Electricity
Users Group (MEUG), Mr Terrence Currie.
“Consumer representatives have opposed the decision right processes being captured by the supply side, but we have
simply been out voted. The Commerce Commission though should take a much less partisan approach and will, we believe,
conclude that consumers and suppliers, not just suppliers, should share the governance of mandatory rules that
ultimately affect all consumers.
“The Governments silence on this matter is of concern because it is being used by the supply side to indicate Government
agreement. We understand that the Government wants only to know the outcomes set out in the Government Policy Statement
in December 2000 are met, without knowing the detailed rule and rule making processes. We believe this is high risk to
consumers and the achievement of the Governments objectives. Mr Currie concluded “we’ve had several decades of the
supply side setting the rules, and last winter showed several shortcomings – only when all consumers, small, large and
rural are represented will development of mandatory rules in the electricity sector begin to address these gaps.
Ends