1. Pursuant to section 172I of the Electricity Act
1992, I notify the amendment of the Electricity Governance Rules 2003 (“Rules”) under section 172H of the Electricity Act 1992.
2. The empowering provisions for the electricity governance regulations in relation to which the Rules are made are sections 172D (1) (3) and 172D (1) (4) of the Electricity Act 1992.
3. A brief description of the nature of the amendments is as follows:
The amendments remove an inconsistency between Rule 3.1 of Section III of Part C and Rule 8.3 of Technical Code B of Schedule C3 of Part C (the normal and extreme voltage range responsibilities). The voltage levels at which independent action is to be taken has been aligned with normal minimum voltage levels.
4. These amendments are made in reliance on section 172F (3) of the Electricity Act 1992.
5. Pursuant to section 172Z (4) of the Electricity Act 1992, the reasons for my decision to amend the Rules are that:
? the amendments remove an inconsistency in the
Rules between normal and extreme voltage range responsibilities; and
? the amendments improve security by reducing the risk of assets being disconnected from the grid that could otherwise be used to restore voltage to normal levels.
6. These rules come into force on 1 September 2005.
7. Copies of the Rules may be inspected free of charge or purchased from the Electricity Commission, Level Seven, ASB Bank Tower, 2 Hunter Street, Wellington.
The Rules can also be viewed on the Electricity Commission web site:
http://www.electricitycommission.govt.nz/rulesandregs/rulechanges
Dated at Wellington this 3rd day of April 2005.
TREVOR MALLARD, Minister of Energy.