The Electricity Authority () is an independent
Crown entity
A Crown entity (from the Commonwealth term ''The Crown, Crown'') is an organisation that forms part of New Zealand's public sector organisations in New Zealand, state sector established under the Crown Entities Act 2004, a unique umbrella governa ...
responsible for the regulation of the
New Zealand electricity market. The Authority was established in November 2010, following a government review of the electricity industry, and replaced the
Electricity Commission. The Authority has a narrower focus on industry competition, reliability and efficiency than the Electricity Commission had.
Functions and responsibilities
The key functions performed by the Authority are:
* Registering industry participants
* Developing and administering the Electricity Industry Participation Code
* Monitoring and enforcing compliance with the Code
* Acting as Market Administrator and contracting providers of market operations services
* Facilitating market performance through information, best-practice guidelines and related services; and
* Undertaking sector reviews
Functions that were performed by the Commission, but which are undertaken by agencies other than the Authority include:
*
Consumer protection
Consumer protection is the practice of safeguarding buyers of goods and services, and the public, against unfair practices in the marketplace. Consumer protection measures are often established by law. Such laws are intended to prevent business ...
– Consumer Affairs at
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment
The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment ( MBIE; ) is the public service department of New Zealand charged with "delivering policy, services, advice and regulation" which contribute to New Zealand's economic productivity and business ...
* Electricity efficiency –
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA; ) is a New Zealand government/Crown agency responsible for promoting energy efficiency and conservation.
The EECA was set up by the Fourth National Government of New Zealand in 1992 to encoura ...
* Reserve energy and emergency campaigns –
Transpower
* Security of supply information and forecasting – Transpower
* Transmission network upgrades approval –
Commerce Commission
The Commerce Commission () (sometimes shortened to ComCom) is a New Zealand government agency with responsibility for enforcing legislation that relates to competition in the country's markets, fair trading and consumer credit contracts, and r ...
Funding
The Electricity Authority is publicly funded, and this cost is then recovered by the government through a levy on electricity industry participants. This levy has the potential to be passed on to consumers in the form of higher electricity prices. A portion is on-charges through electricity bills (roughly 0.4% of household bills). Additionally, this levy funds electricity efficiency programmes delivered by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority.
These Levy rates are rest based on the costs burdens on the Electricity Authority, and the costs of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority's electricity efficiency programmes quantity of electricity generated, purchased and conveyed, plus the number of consumer connections.
See also
*
Electricity sector in New Zealand
The electricity sector in New Zealand uses mainly renewable energy, such as Hydroelectricity, hydropower, geothermal energy, geothermal power and increasingly wind energy. As of 2021, the country generated 81.2% of its electricity from renewabl ...
*
Electricity Commission (New Zealand)
The New Zealand Electricity Commission was a government authority set up in 2003 to regulate the electricity sector in New Zealand. It was succeeded by the Electricity Authority in November 2010.
The Commission was established under the Elect ...
References
External links
Electricity Authority
{{NZ crown entities/Crown agents
New Zealand independent crown entities
Electric power in New Zealand
2010 establishments in New Zealand
Electricity authorities