Updated policy statement on transmission released
Hon David Parker
Minister of Energy
26 October 2006
Updated policy statement on transmission released
Energy Minister David Parker today released an updated Government Policy Statement on Electricity Governance designed to improve the quality and timeliness of decision-making on transmission.
"A reliable grid is critical in achieving the government's goal of transforming the economy," David Parker said. "This policy statement is about reinforcing the need for security of supply, alongside environmental and price objectives."
The release follows consultation with the Electricity Commission on a draft statement released in August and consideration of comments by stakeholders.
The revised Government Policy Statement on Electricity is designed to:
- Emphasise the importance
of security of supply in transmission, including in extreme
events, by providing for diversity of supply routes,
especially for large load centres like Auckland
- Ensure
that the grid facilitates competition in generation and
minimises transmission constraints
- Ensure that business
and stakeholder confidence in security of supply is
maintained during transmission upgrade processes
- Ensure
that transmission planning supports the government’s goal
of facilitating renewable energy
- Emphasise that, to
the extent possible, grid upgrade plans should be as
comprehensive as possible and should be considered in a wide
framework
- Allow Transpower to recover the reasonable costs of acquiring land corridors in advance of approval of specific grid upgrade plans.
“I am also looking at the overall electricity market arrangements and propose to make improvements in conjunction with the development of the New Zealand Energy Strategy. A draft of the Strategy is expected in late November,” Mr Parker said.
ENDS