Pursuant to Regulation 194 of the Electricity Governance Regulations 2003, the Electricity Commission ("Commission") gives the following notice.
N o t i c e
1. Title and commencement-(1) This notice is the Electricity Governance Regulations (Exemption No. 122 (Meridian Energy Limited, Orion New Zealand Limited and MainPower New Zealand Limited)) Exemption Notice 2010.
(2) This notice comes into force on 30 September 2010.
2. Exemption-(1) Meridian Energy Limited ("Meridian"), in respect of all of its ICPs, is exempted from compliance with the timing restrictions that apply to it as a retailer or as a trader contained within the following provisions of the Electricity Governance Rules 2003 ("Rules"):
(a) Rule 28.1 of Part E;
(b) Clauses 3.2, 3A.2, 4.5, 4.6, and 4.7 of Schedule E1 of Part E; and
(c) Clauses 1.2, 1.2A, 1.3, 2.2, 2.3, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 4.3, and 4.5 of Schedule E2 of Part E.
(2) Orion New Zealand Limited ("Orion") and MainPower New Zealand Limited ("MainPower"), in relation to
the management of all their ICPs, are exempted from the following provisions of the Rules:
(a) from the timing restrictions that apply to them as distributors, in the following provisions of the Rules:
(i) Rules 2, 3, 4.3, 17, and 28.2 of Part E; and
(ii) Clauses 2.2, 2.3, 2.7, 2A.2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.3A, 4.4, 4.6A, 4.8, 7.1B.2, 9.2.1, 9.5, and 10.2 of Schedule E1 of Part E; and
(b) from Rule 17 of Part E.
3. Terms and conditions-This exemption is granted on the following conditions:
(a) for Meridian, this exemption expires at the close of 30 November 2010;
(b) for Orion and MainPower:
(i) this exemption expires at the close of
30 October 2010; and
(ii) the exemption from Rule 17 of Part E is on the condition that the distributor must ensure that by 30 November 2010 there is a trader recorded in the registry for each connection made during the term of the exemption; and
(c) for the exemptions from the timing restrictions each participant must:
(i) comply with the relevant obligation in each Rule as soon as practicable; and
(ii) report to the Commission on its progress towards achieving full compliance with the relevant obligations by Friday 17 December 2010.
4. Reasons for granting the exemption-The reasons for granting this exemption are:
(a) following the Canterbury earthquake on 4 September and ensuing aftershocks Meridian, Orion and MainPower have suffered damage to their core infrastructures and business premises;
(b) as a result of the earthquakes, these participants' back office processing capabilities have been significantly impaired; and
(c) restoration of power and safety of the public took first priority for these participants when allocating resources.
Dated at Wellington this 28th day of September 2010.
For and on behalf of the Electricity Commission:
DAVID CAYGILL, Chair.