Energy Ministers have proposed a rule change to introduce a new framework to manage indistinct events. Indistinct events are events that can impact on multiple generators and transmission lines in an unpredictable and uncertain manner.

The proposed rule intends to establish two tools to assess and manage these types of indistinct event risks, a standing indistinct event assessment under the protected events framework and a condition dependent indistinct assessment under a newly formed protected operations framework.

We broadly agree with objective of the proposed rule to ensure the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has the necessary tools to assess risks to the system. However as discussed in our submission, it is unclear how the proposed frameworks will assist AEMO in assessing these types of risks given the existing arrangements for standing indistinct events and the current abnormal conditions classification framework for credible contingencies.

Read our submission here.