Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable
2025 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable
The 2025 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable has been prepared in line with the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM) Rules published on 20 November 2024 and the Exposure Draft of the WEM Investment Certainty and RCM Review Amending Rules (Draft Amending Rules) published on 13 November 2024. The consultation period on the Draft Amending Rules closes at 5:00pm (WST) on 9 December 2024.
Clause 4.1.1C of the WEM Rules allows AEMO to modify or extend a date or time set under section 4.1 of the WEM Rules, including the commencement date of the Request for Expressions of Interest (EOI).
AEMO is deferring the 2025 Request for EOI commencement deadline specified in clause 4.1.4 of the WEM Rules from 5:00 PM on 15 January 2025 (AWST) to 5:00 PM on 31 January 2025 (AWST), while at this time keeping other dates set in the 2025 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable unchanged.
This deferral is to allow sufficient time for AEMO to undertake a detailed assessment of the impact of the final Amending Rules on the 2025 Reserve Capacity Cycle and to provide AEMO with sufficient time to present potential investment opportunities to WEM stakeholders for the 2025 Reserve Capacity Cycle.
The timetable below outlines the key dates and milestones for the 2025 Reserve Capacity Cycle activities for the 2027-28 Capacity Year.
-
2024 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable
The 2024 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable has been prepared in line with the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM) Rules published on 13 December 2023, which include the Reserve Capacity Reform Schedule 1 amending rules.
Clause 4.1.1C of the WEM Rules allows AEMO to modify or extend a date or time set under section 4.1 of the WEM Rules, including the publication date for the WEM ESOO.
AEMO is deferring the 2024 WEM ESOO publication deadline specified in clause 4.1.8 of the WEM Rules and the 2024 Reserve Capacity Information Pack publication deadline specified in clause 4.1.10 from 5:00 PM 10 June 2024 (AWST) to 5:00 PM 18 June 2024 (AWST), while keeping other dates set in the 2024 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable unchanged.
The deferral is to allow sufficient time to ensure the accuracy of the reliability assessment, which has become more complex due to the rule amendments to implement the Reserve Capacity Mechanism Review findings, including the regional capacity shortfall assessment.
The timetable outlines the key dates and milestones for the 2024 Reserve Capacity Cycle activities in relation to the 2026-27 Capacity Year.
-
2023 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable
On 13 January 2023, AEMO published the 2023 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable as part of the 2023 Request for Expressions of Interest process under the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM) Rules.
Following the publication of the previous deferral of the 2023 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable on 3 May 2023, AEMO consulted with Market Participants on a further deferral to this timetable.On 12 June 2023, AEMO notified Market Participants of an additional deferral to the 2023 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable with respect to the 2023 WEM Electricity Statement of Opportunities (ESOO) publication date and subsequently, other Reserve Capacity activities. The updated timetable will allow sufficient time to ensure accuracy of the NAQ model inputs and outputs, which is a new consideration in the 2023 WEM ESOO report.
AEMO would like to thank Market Participants for their feedback which was generally supportive of the proposed deferred dates for the 2023 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable.
On 18 February 2022, AEMO published the 2022 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable.
The Network Access Quantity (NAQ) framework, which accounts for constrained network access, has been implemented for the 2022 Reserve Capacity Cycle. The results from the NAQ framework will be used to assign Capacity Credits for the 2022 Reserve Capacity Cycle, and are inputs to the 2023 WEM ESOO reliability assessment.
To allow sufficient time to ensure accuracy of the NAQ model inputs and outputs, AEMO proposed deferring the remainder of the dates associated with the 2022 and 2023 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetables.
Clause 1.36B (a transitional rule) sets out the process for determining and modifying the 2022 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable. In accordance with clause 1.36B.7 of the WEM Rules, AEMO formally consulted with Market Participants on the proposed deferrals for the 2022 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable. AEMO also consulted with Market Participants on the proposed deferred dates for the 2023 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable. The consultation period closed on 19 June 2023, and AEMO received one formal submission from Alinta Energy as part of the consultation process.
AEMO has decided to defer the dates as proposed for the 2022 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable.
AEMO is still considering its position with respect to the 2023 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable and will notify stakeholders of the outcome at a future date.
The revised 2022 Reserve Capacity timetable is published below.
-
2022 Reserve Capacity Cycle timetable