The Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) has created a draft rule to reduce the risk of power outages caused by extreme weather events.

The draft rule explicitly recognises distribution network resilience in the national electricity rules, to support Distribution Network Service providers (DNSPs) in efficiently reducing these risks.

As such, the draft changes would give DNSPs better regulatory clarity to assist with their planning and investments in network resilience, as well as customers who are impacted by power outages due to severe weather.

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) would be responsible for developing, publishing and maintaining formal network resilience guidelines, also requiring DNSPs to comply with these proposed new planning and reporting requirements.

Climate change is forecast to increase the frequency and intensity of these severe weather disruptions, and AEMC chair Anna Collyer says that the draft rule was developed to assist in the long-term.

“More extreme weather is an unfortunate reality that leaves electricity networks and the communities they power more vulnerable,” she says.

“This framework would support DNSPs in efficiently planning and investing in network resilience, while providing clearer guidelines to support consumers impacted by power outages cased by extreme weather.”