✨ Electricity Governance Policy
29 OCTOBER 2004
NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE, No. 139
Act 1992 to make recommendations to the Minister of Energy concerning new or amended
regulations and rules. The Commission should be prepared to use these powers fully where
required to achieve the Government’s policy objectives.
Consultation
6 Where the Commission proposes new regulation or rules, or substantial changes to existing
regulations or rules, the Act requires it to follow good processes. These include identification of
the main options, assessment of costs and benefits, and consultation with and exposure of its
analyses to affected parties. It is also required to satisfy itself that other options (such as
information, education and voluntary arrangements) are unlikely to satisfactorily achieve the
Government’s objectives.
7 The Government expects the Commission to publish a protocol on its consultation processes.
Advisory groups
8 The Commission should make extensive use of advisory groups wherever possible to develop
industry arrangements and make recommendations concerning regulations and rules. These
advisory groups should have the necessary expertise and be appropriately representative of
affected parties including consumers. The Commission should consider providing limited funding
assistance for consumer representatives where it considers that this may improve the quality of
decision-making.
Innovation
9 The Commission should keep in mind the importance of encouraging innovation. It should
therefore consider, when deciding how best to deliver on its objectives, any trade-offs between
certainty and clarity on the one hand and encouraging and allowing scope for innovation on the
other.
Information
10 High quality information is essential to efficient markets. The Commission should give high
priority to ensuring relevant information is made available to market participants and to the public
at large on matters relating to the electricity sector.
Administration of regulations and rules
11 The Government expects the Electricity Commission to take responsibility for monitoring
compliance, investigating alleged breaches and if necessary taking enforcement action in relation
to regulations and rules.6 It should establish an impartial Rulings Panel to adjudicate on alleged
breaches of the rules.
Consumer protection
Domestic consumer contracts
12 The Electricity Commission should ensure that the terms and conditions of contracts between
domestic consumers and electricity retailers (and where applicable, contracts between domestic
consumers and electricity distributors) reflect the reasonable expectations of consumers. The
Commission should develop, in consultation with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and other
relevant interests, model terms and conditions or guidelines for these contracts. It should
recommend regulations if model arrangements or guidelines are not comprehensively
implemented.
6 The Ministry of Economic Development is the administering Department for regulations and rules
made pursuant to Subpart 2 of Part 14 or pursuant to Part 15 of the Electricity Act 1992.
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Online Sources for this page:
VUW Te Waharoa —
NZ Gazette 2004, No 139
Gazette.govt.nz —
NZ Gazette 2004, No 139
✨ LLM interpretation of page content
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Government Policy Statement on Electricity Governance
(continued from previous page)
🏛️ Governance & Central Administration1 October 2004
Electricity, Governance, Policy, Sustainability, Economic Growth