Electricity generation distribution retail licence - Cowell Electric Supply Pty Ltd
- Project Released: Jun 2007
- Project Closes: Aug 2023
- Contact: Jasmine Pedicini
Overview
As part of the Commission’s licensing function, it has the power to vary (or add to) conditions that are imposed on a licence it has issued. Specifically, under section 27 of the Electricity Act 1996, the Commission has the power to vary a licence at any time, subject to statutory procedural requirements, including providing a licensee with reasonable notice of a proposed variation and allowing it the opportunity to make representations on that variation.
Status
Current status is Final
Final
Variation dated 10 Aug 2023 (Amendment number ESCOSA11)
As part of the small-scale energy networks consumer protection framework review, which concluded on 21 June 2023, the Small-scale Electricity Networks Code was established and came into effect on 1 July 2023.
The implementation of this code requires variations to individual electricity licences, to remove outdated consumer protection obligations that are now covered by the relevant industry code. Further variations were also made to reinstate omitted mandatory conditions and to update the wording of relevant conditions and definitions. A summary of the licence variation is shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Summary of variations for Cowell Electric Supply Pty Ltd
| Clause |
Variation (Amendment number ESCOSA11) |
| Existing clause 2 Grant of licence |
Varied to clarify application of Schedule 3 of the licence to networks connected to the National Electricity Market
|
Existing clause 7 Compliance with applicable laws and codes
|
Varied to update wording
|
Existing clause 8 Ombudsman and disputes
|
Varied to update Australian Standard reference |
Existing clause 22 (previously clause 19) Quality of supply
|
Varied to include reference to successor standards
|
Existing clauses 20, 23-24 Distribution and generation conditions
|
Removed as now contained in Small-scale Electricity Networks Code (applicable conditions transferred to Schedule 3)
|
| Existing clauses 26-36, 39-50 Connections, sale, and supply conditions |
Removed as now contained in Small-scale Electricity Networks Code (applicable conditions for Iron Knob and Pimba transferred to Schedule 3) |
| Existing Schedule 1 Definitions and Interpretation |
Varied to define terms added to the licence |
| New clause 11 Operational and compliance audits |
Reinstated mandatory condition inadvertently removed as part of implementation verified trust and accountability (VTA) regulatory approach |
| New clause 26 Changes to Office holders and major shareholders |
Added to include mandatory licence condition and to align with Guideline No.5 regulatory reporting requirements for small-scale networks |
| New clause 27 Access and access disputes |
Added to include mandatory generation condition
|
New Schedule 3
|
Added the licence conditions applying to networks connected to the National Electricity Market to Schedule 3 (Iron Knob and Pimba). |
The Commission assessed the variations against the relevant provisions of the Electricity Act 1996 and the Essential Services Commission Act 2002 and determined that all relevant criteria under those Acts have been satisfied. It has therefore approved the variations.
Application history
Variation - Jun 2022
Amendment number: ESCOSA10 (variation dated 17 Jun 2022)
In December 2021, the South Australian Government made the Electricity (General) (Payment Condition) Variation Regulations 2021 (Variation Regulations), which commence 1 July 2022. The Variation Regulations require the Commission to impose a condition on Cowell Electric Supply Pty Ltd’s (Cowell Electric) electricity generation, distribution and retail licence that it only sell electricity to ‘prescribed customers’ using a prepayment meter system.
The prescribed customers are approximately 2500 residential customers in the remote Aboriginal communities and associated homelands of Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, Yalata, and Oak Valley.
Giving effect to the Variation Regulations means that some of the consumer protections provided by the Commission’s existing Prepayment Meter System Code cannot practically be provided to these customers. As a result, an alternative set of minimum consumer protections for prescribed customers has been developed, which forms a schedule to Cowell Electric’s licence.
Variation - Sep 2018
Amendment number: 4 ESCOSA (variation dated 17 Jun 2022)
End Accordion
Further information
The current licence may be accessed on the licence register or refer to the publications below for additional information. Please email [email protected] if you have any further licensing related queries.