Accredited Service Provider Scheme review
The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment is reviewing the Accredited Service Provider (ASP) Scheme to examine the continued need for and arrangements to deliver contestable energy connection services as regulated through the Scheme.
We released an Issues Paper for comment in June, and received 42 written submissions in response, some of them very detailed . We also received input from direct consultation with a sample of ASP providers, NECA and with the three electricity distributors.
We have now reviewed the responses and developed options for possible changes to the scheme. We have prepared a Position Paper that summarises the responses and presents the options for your comment.
If you have comments on the paper, you can use the form below, or make a separate submission by email.
Submissions are open from 10 December 2021 and due by 11:59pm, Friday 28 January 2022.
We have set an extended period for comment recognising the impact of the Christmas-New Year break.
The Position Paper covers:
- Key issues—as expressed in submissions or focus groups
- Options—for dealing with issues within the scope of the Review, including a high-level analysis of their benefit and feasibility
- Feasibility—the Paper asks for feedback on the feasibility of the options with the sector
- A straw model—the Paper also outlines a potential suite of recommendations in the next phase.
We are specifically seeking feedback on the following:
- Where there is a strong preference for options other than those categorised as feasible or most feasible, noting clear reasons for that preference
- Overall, which options are most important to progress.
The feedback from this consultation will shape the final recommendations.
The separate paper, Accredited Service Provider Scheme Review: Options summary has been designed to support stakeholder feedback. Where this Position Paper sets out many options arising from stakeholder consultation to be considered for the future of the Scheme, the Options Summary has selected the options assessed as being feasible. The Options Summary provides space for you to identify:
- The relative importance for you of each of the feasible options.
- Alternative options if your preferred justification is not included. If you want to offer an alternative option, you will need to include a detailed justification with evidence as to why your proposed approach is better than those considered feasible.
- You may also choose to comment on the straw model provided in the Executive Summary and—if wishing to propose alternatives - a rationale for changes.
- Use the Options Summary as a form and fill in the fields where you have comments, or
- Make a separate written submission by email.
Please send your submission to asp.consultation [at] planning.nsw.gov.au.
All submissions may be made public unless you request that they not be published.
If you have any questions about the review, please send your query to asp.consultation [at] planning.nsw.gov.au.
The ASP Scheme is being reviewed to examine the continued need for and arrangements to deliver contestable electricity connection services as regulated through the scheme.
The ASP Scheme was introduced in 1995 to provide consumers who need to connect to the electricity distribution network with access to a competent and competitive market of service providers. Since the last extensive review of the scheme in 2010:
- the estimated value of contestable works has increased substantially
- Power of Choice metering arrangements have commenced
- renewable energy generation and its connection to the grid has increased
- safety management and customer service expectations have changed.
The terms of reference for the ASP Scheme review centre on these questions:
- Does the current ASP Scheme address its intended purpose of supporting contestable services?
- To what extent does the scheme deliver against the objectives of competence, consumer access and safety?
- What arrangements are needed to ensure the scheme administration meets contemporary customer service expectations?
- What arrangements are needed to ensure the scheme is responsive to industry change, technological advancements and training updates into the future?
