Facilitating timely connection of critical projects
Western Power is developing a framework to assess critical projects, based on a set of principles and criteria, including a project’s criticality to the State and a customer’s readiness to connect.
Projects identified as critical projects will then be fast-tracked for connection.
This framework will be outlined in a guideline that is published and available, for prospective customers to understand how a critical project is defined.
To guide understanding and seek your input, we have published an information paper which sets out Western Power’s proposed approach. We are identifying critical projects to ensure that Western Australia’s critical projects can proceed, in line with the State’s commitment to achieve net zero and keeping pace with the unprecedented uplift in demand for major customer network connections.
We welcome your feedback on our approach, as we work together, and all play our part in achieving Western Australia’s low carbon future.
Please provide your responses and or any queries through to critical.projects@westernpower.com.au.
Submissions on our information paper are now closed.
Please note, Western Power will summarise information in a response document, to be published with the final guideline. It will not make submissions publicly available, but respondents must note that any information provided may be subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 1992 which imposes obligations on the release of information.
FAQs
The consultation process
We will advise our customers and industry once our consultation is complete and the guideline is released.
We welcome your feedback on this consultation paper. Please provide a written response to critical.projects@westernpower.com.au. Should you wish to discuss your feedback, please advise so in your email.
Western Power works closely with EPWA, given EPWA’s role to advise the Minister for Energy on the State’s energy policy, then implement, under its delegation on behalf of the Minister for Energy.
Yes, we will publish the guideline on the proposed approach. This will take into consideration insights and feedback from this consultation process.
Implementation
Western Power plans for this new process to be in place within the next six months.
All customers will lodge an enquiry as per business as usual. Western Power will determine if your project is eligible for critical project status. We will work closely with you to determine this.
No, the registration of interest process is separate. Any project seeking ‘critical’ project status will need to meet the eligibility criteria.
All current applications may be considered against the eligibility criteria. We will advise in-train customers of the requirements and steps should they be eligible ‘critical’ project status.
All projects not considered as critical will progress as per business as usual, with the current connection process requirements applying, including maintaining activity on your application.
Not all projects will be eligible for critical project status. Should your project be moving in line with the stated requirements, including payment, and maintaining currency in the connection process it will progress.
In the instance of a disagreement with Western Power, over the status of your project, the same process applies as defined in the Application and Queuing Policy.
No, only projects can be considered as critical. Customers cannot be assessed as critical. In cases where a customer has multiple projects, each project will need to be assessed on merit.