MINUTES – Retail Market Consultative Forum (RMCF)
MEETING : / 6DATE: / Friday, 29 May 2015
TIME: / 10.00 AM – 12.00 PM
LOCATION: / AEMOs Offices; Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide Teleconference
Contact: /
ATTENDEES:
Attendees / Company / Sign inDavid Woods / SA PowerNetworks / Adelaide
Mark Henley / Uniting Communities / Adelaide
Jo De Silva / South Australian Council of Social Service / Adelaide
Errol Murray / APA Group / Adelaide
Andrew Mair / M2 Energy / Melbourne
Robert Lo Giudice / Acumen™ Metering / Melbourne
Greg Szot / Powercor / Melbourne
Stef Macri / Lumo/ Red / Melbourne
Peter Carruthers / Jarosite Consulting / Melbourne
Peter Ellis / AusNet Services / Melbourne
Annmarie Lavin / Momentum Energy / Melbourne
Peter Wallace / Powercor / Melbourne
Carlos Navarro / Powercor/CitiPower / Melbourne
Krys Baker / Serviceworks / Melbourne
Justin Betlehem / AusNet Services / Melbourne
Dianne Shields / Simply Energy / Melbourne
Charles Coulson / Metropolis Metering Services / Melbourne
Andrew Mair / M2 / Melbourne
Arun Wadhwa / Origin / Melbourne
Peter Carruthers / Jarosite Consulting / Melbourne
Mark Riley / AGL / Melbourne
Allicia Volvricht / AGL / Melbourne
Mara Tenis / EA / Melbourne
Craig Memery / ATA / Melbourne
Verity Watson / United Energy / Melbourne
David Grove / Origin / Sydney
Ross McAlpine / AUSGRID / Sydney
Neil Purser / Go Energy / Sydney
Gavin Dufty / St Vincent de Paul Society / Sydney
Ewen Stewart / ERM / Teleconference
Ty Crowhurst / TasNetworks / Teleconference
Lyn McBryde / Energex / Teleconference
Hilary Priest / Pooled Energy P/L / Teleconference
Michael Whitfield / Department of Industry & Science / Teleconference
Tom Cole / Energex / Teleconference
Doug Ross / Vector / Teleconference
Umesh Dutt / Serviceworks / Teleconference
Elisabeth Ross / AEMC / Teleconference
Graeme Ferguson / Essential Energy / Teleconference
Tony Woolfe / Essential Energy / Teleconference
AEMO Attendees:
Andrew Mann (Chair), Tania McIntyre (Secretariat), Roy Kaplan, Joe Spurio, Natalie Bakas (part), Lee Brown (part), Taryn Maroney (part), Paul Le Favi (part), Danny McGowan (part), Demi Chau (part), Brendan Ring (part).
1. Welcome and Apologies
A. Mann (AEMO) welcomed participants to the sixth RMCF meeting and introduced himself as the new Chair of the RMCF.
Additional agenda items
P. Ellis (Ausnet Services) requested that an update on the Retail Market Blueprint be added to other business.
2. Minutes & actions from previous meeting
There were no additional comments / feedback to the April RMCF minutes.
M. Riley’s (AGL) comments on previous minutes to be circulated to RMCF participants in the June meeting pack. (Action 6.2.1)
3. Power of Choice (PoC) - Workshop highlights and key actions/ responsibilities
L. Brown (AEMO) updated the group on the outcomes from the PoC workshop held on 13 May
L. Brown (AEMO) discussed the initial feedback provided by participants (as captured on slide five of the handout and consolidated in a document) noting that AEMO would circulate additional feedback from Ausnet Services and BMRG (having received approval to do so) to the RMCF. (Action 6.3.1)
P. Ellis (Ausnet Services) suggested that AEMO create an Issues Register for PoC work going forward. M. Riley (AGL) seconded this suggestion, with the addition of a risk register noting that a tool such as this would aid participants with IT builds etc. in the future. A. Mann (AEMO) stated that AEMO would develop an Issues/ Risk register template for PoC for the RMCF. (Action 6.3.2)
V. Watson (UE) noted that there was a need to determine process requirements for the delivery of services from advanced metering and that this had not been considered in the schedule. Brown agreed that to deliver some of the services discussed in the draft determination for metering competition, there were process requirements per jurisdiction that needed to be considered, providing remote supply reconnection and disconnection via the advanced meter as an example. Brown confirmed that consideration of these issues needed to be provided for this program and that these items cold be explored further at the working group sessions planned for June.
P. Ellis raised concerns surrounding the need for principles, with an example of timing of schedules, noting that he felt that they are important to have for consistency.
Brown provided an overview of the rationale that AEMO used when considering any potential links between the metering competition and shared market protocol changes, including any requirements to develop transaction mechanisms in the current B2B arrangements should there be a delay in the availability of the shared market protocol.
D. Ou (Endeavour Energy) and Watson queried how remote re-en/ de-en’s would be a communicated without a B2B transaction. L. Brown responded by stating that there would be no mandate surrounding this service, however there would a requirement that meters installed by the metering coordinator are capable of carrying out this service in as specified in the draft determination.
P. Ellis raised concerns that AEMO had interpreted the AEMC determination incorrectly. E. Ross (AEMC) noted that the AEMO position on the requirement to deliver transactions through the current B2B framework, aligns with the AEMC intent and requirements.
A. Mann (AEMO) encouraged participants to continue to send through any further comments / feedback to the RMCF inbox.
R. Kaplan discussed impact assessments and AEMO’s plan to discuss these assessments with existing forums/ working groups to receive feedback. R. Kaplan noted that the 2nd day of the BMRG June meeting would be used to discuss the B2B impacts of Metering Competition with participants. Invitations would be circulated to participants over the next few days. (Action Item 6.3.3)
A. Mann noted that the next RMCF on 26 June would be split into RMCF updates (first hour) and a second PoC workshop for remainder (likely duration of two hours). A. Mann committed to have more workshops through the RMCF in the future, as the need arises. The next is likely to be scheduled in mid-July to discuss Metering Competition final determination. (Action Item 6.3.4)
Metropolis indicated that they currently perform advanced metering services using non-B2B communication methods, and their understanding was that this process would continue under Competition in Metering.Once the Shared Market Protocol rule change draft is released, Metropolis will be in a position to further consider standardised service requests.
4. Collaborative Retail Working Group Report
The Collaborative Working Group Report was discussed with participants, with updates provided on:
· B2B MSATS Reference Group (BMRG)
· Gas Retail Consultative Forum (GRCF)
· Information Exchange Committee (IEC)
5. NSW/ACT Retail Gas Project update (NARGP)
R. Kaplan provided the RMCF with an update on NARGP noting the following key points:
· All work streams currently on schedule.
· A NARGP workshop was held on Friday 15 May, this included Readiness updates, a draft Industry Test Plan and Process Mapping discussions.
· Wagga Wagga and Tamworth consultation (Retail Market Procedures and Participant Build Pack #6) is currently in the IIR stage.
· AEMO final decision on Wagga Wagga & Tamworth Procedure Change Consultation is on track for 8 June 2015.
· Industry concerns relating to administrative issues raised at the last RMCF meeting have been resolved.
6. Shared Market Protocol (MF-SP) Advice Paper 2
B. Ring (AEMO) gave an update on Shared Market Protocol (SMP) advice paper #2 noting that AEMO has submitted its second advice to COAG EC on SMP and that COAG EC has indicated that it expects to publish this in early July 2015:
7. Customer Access to Data
T. Maroney (AEMO) gave an update on Customer Access to Data noting the following key points:
· Consultation Paper published on 30 April 2015.
· Submissions due 5 June 2015.
· Stakeholder workshop originally planned for 12 June rescheduled to 18 June 2015. (Participants noted that an AEMC conference on storage was also being held on 18 June, which may impact some attendees)
· Information regarding upcoming workshops to be circulated by 3 June 2015. (Action Item 6.7.1)
· Customer verification issue is out of scope:
o IEC took an action to request the BMRG investigate DNSPs having insufficient customer details for customer verification.
E. Stewart (ERM) raised concerns regarding file formats querying whether they would be removed in the future. AEMO agreed to provide further clarification and guidance on this issue and circulate to RMCF participants prior to the next RMCF meeting. (Action Item 6.7.2)
C. Memery (ATA) questioned whether AEMO had taken the opportunity to canvas feedback from consumers as well as from consumer advocates. C. Memery suggested that it may be valuable for AEMO to conduct some focus groups with varied consumer groups (i.e. NESB, D&V, elderly etc.) to understand what formats etc. work best for consumers. AEMO agreed to look into how this has been considered for the program of work and report back. (Action Item 6.7.3)
8. Retail Market Framework Forum – Report update
Roy Kaplan (AEMO) gave an update on the Retail Market Framework Forum noting the following key points:
· The group met via teleconference on 15 May to discuss report progress and plan for completion of the report.
· Working group with AEMO support to complete the report by end June 2015.
· AEMO to consider recommendations of report by end July 2015.
9. Other Business
Retail Market Blueprint
P. Ellis (Ausnet Services) requested an update on the Retail Market Blueprint. A. Mann (AEMO) noted that he would look to put this item on the June 2015 meeting agenda. (Action Item 6.9.1)
High level AEMO Org Chart
A. Mann (AEMO) agreed to circulate the high level Organisational Chart for AEMO’s Markets Group to RMCF participants by the next meeting. (Action 6.9.2)
10. Next Meeting
The next RMCF meeting is scheduled for Friday 26 June 2015.
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