Electricity Transmission Regulations 1996

Subject to subregulation (2), a corporation may interrupt or curtail the transfer of electricity to or from a connection or the provision of an access service in respect of a connection to the extent, and for such period of time, as the corporation considers is necessary —

to carry out planned augmentation, maintenance, testing or repair of that part of the electricity transmission network which has the ability to transfer electricity to or from the connection or the plant or equipment used to provide the access service in respect of the connection;

to carry out unplanned maintenance, testing or repair of that part of the electricity transmission network which has the ability to transfer electricity to or from the connection or the plant or equipment used to provide the access service in respect of the connection, if the corporation considers that doing so is necessary to avoid injury to any person or material damage to any property or the environment;

in the event of breakdown of or damage to that part of the electricity transmission network which has the ability to transfer electricity to or from the connection or the plant or equipment used to provide the access service in respect of the connection which affects the corporation’s ability to transfer electricity to or from the connection or provide the access service; or

if a force majeure event occurs which affects the corporation’s ability to transfer electricity to or from the connection or to provide the access service.

A corporation must —

give a user at least 10 business days’ prior notice of any planned augmentation, maintenance, testing or repair that will require interruption to or curtailment of the transfer of electricity to or from, or the provision of an access service to, one or more of the user’s connections under these regulations and must liaise with the user concerning the timing of that planned augmentation, maintenance, testing or repair; and

use reasonable endeavours to promptly notify a user of any unplanned interruptions to or curtailments of the transfer of electricity to or from, or the provision of an access service to, one or more of the user’s connections under these regulations.

Subject to subregulation (2), a corporation has no responsibility to inform any person of any interruption or curtailment to the transfer of electricity to or from, or the provision of an access service to, a connection.

If a corporation notifies a user of any interruption to or curtailment of the transfer of electricity to or from, or the provision of an access service to, a connection (under this regulation or otherwise), then the user must —

comply with any reasonable requirements concerning the interruption or curtailment set out in the notice; and

if the connection is an exit point, must use all reasonable endeavours to ensure that the persons taking a supply of electricity through the connection also comply with those requirements.