The Commerce Commission conference to consider two arrangements relating to the establishment of a competitive wholesale electricity market begins in Wellington tomorrow.
Commission Chairman Dr Alan Bollard said the conference will continue on Friday if necessary and the Commission expects to release its final decision by about the end of the month.
ECNZ, Contact Energy and the Electricity Market Company (EMCO) have applied to the Commission for authorisation of proposed interim pricing rules to be in force until the competitive market is established on October 1.
ECNZ and Contact have also applied for authorisation of an arrangement under which Contact would supply electricity to ECNZ until the market is established.
In a draft determination released in December, the Commission said its preliminary view was that it would not oppose the arrangements.
The Commission has received 15 submissions since releasing its draft determination and the conference is an opportunity for interested parties to provide further information and for the Commission to ask questions.
Five organisations, ECNZ, Contact, EMCO, Trans Power and the Major Electricity Users Group (MEUG), will be represented at the conference. Trans Power supports the applications and MEUG opposes them.
Conference details:
Venue: Seminar Suite, Wellington Town Hall
Date: Thursday January 18 (the conference will continue on Friday only if business is not concluded on Thursday)
Order of presentations: 9am, introduction by Commission Chairman Dr Alan Bollard
Presentations by applicants, ECNZ, Contact Energy and EMCO
Trans Power
Major Users of Electricity Group
Right of reply by applicants
Procedure: Commission conferences are for information gathering by the Commission. They are not adversarial and the parties cannot cross-examine each other.
Media can attend to observe and report on presentations, though if parties ask for confidentiality, the room may be cleared . Legal counsel representing any interested parties may attend confidential sessions if they sign an undertaking not to release the information presented.
Media contact:Communications Officer Vincent Cholewa
