Electricity Act 1994

It is also a condition of a distribution authority that the distribution entity must allow, as far as technically and economically practicable for the distribution entity, a person to connect supply to its supply network, or take electricity from its supply network, on fair and reasonable terms, if the conditions stated in subsection (2) are satisfied.

The conditions to be satisfied are as follows—

the person must be a generation entity, a transmission entity or a distribution entity;

the supply network must be capable of being safely used to connect supply or take electricity as proposed by the person;

the person must have complied with all provisions of the regulations relevant to connecting supply to, or taking electricity from, the network;

the person must pay the reasonable cost of connection to the network.

In deciding whether the condition mentioned in subsection (2)(b) is satisfied, all relevant matters must be considered, including, for example—

the distribution entity’s current obligations and its expected future obligations; and

the current obligations of other persons connected directly or indirectly to the network; and

the network’s capacity.