TRENDS AND APPROACHES TO PLANNING STANDARDS, SERVICE STANDARDS AND NEW INVESTMENT IN A DEREGULATED MARKET – AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND EXPERIENCE

摘要

The electrical power supply industry in Australia and New Zealand has undergone some major changesrnin the past decade.rnIn some cases, utilities have been disaggregated and privatised while others have remained inrngovernment ownership and even retained a vertically integrated structure.rnThe common factor in the markets considered is the deregulation that has opened them up torncompetition in generation plant, wires business and energy retailing. The ultimate aim of the process isrnto deliver a lower cost of electricity to industry and the public in general.rnIn striving to achieve this, there will inevitably be a conflict between controlling costs and maintainingrnadequate levels of supply security and reliability (that is, the service standards). Thus, there is the needrnfor the System Planning Criteria and Investment Decision process to strike an appropriate balance sornthat the needs and expectations of stakeholders are substantially met.rnThis paper reviews the approaches to planning standards, service standards and new investment thatrnnow occurs following several years of deregulation and, in most cases, disagreggation of the powerrnindustry.rnThe jurisdictions covered include the six Australian states and New Zealand.