AEMO’s biennial ISP process is critically important to support the NEM’s energy transition. The development of new infrastructure projects in a timely and coordinated fashion is necessary to support the replacement of aging plant with a mix of low-cost and low-emissions new generation. We strongly support AEMO’s efforts to deliver the ISP in a manner that is necessarily comprehensive and has been undertaken in broad consultation with the industry and consumer representatives.

On 7 January 2022, the AER completed a transparency review of the ISP, highlighting some aspects of the draft ISP where better explanations of how inputs and assumptions contribute to draft ISP outcomes would improve transparency. We agree with that the AER’s conclusion that while AEMO had adequately explained the majority of its inputs and assumptions, some aspects of the ISP would further benefit from additional explanation on how key inputs and assumptions contributed to headline ISP outcomes.

On 11 March 2022, AEMO published an addendum to the draft ISP to help provide this additional transparency. A copy of that paper is available here. We support the further information provided by AEMO in the addendum, especially the additional clarity provided regarding modelling assumptions and how approaches contributed to forecast closures of plant in the short-term.

AGL made a submission to the Initiation Paper, a copy of which is available here.