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Procedure Changes

Market Procedures

The IMO develops and changes procedures that relate to market operation and other market matters, while System Management develops operational procedures pertaining to short and medium system planning, security and reliability, and dispatch. The IMO is responsible for approving all procedures.

The current versions of Market Procedures can be found here.

Summary of Procedure Changes

All procedure changes being progressed or recently progressed by the IMO are available here.

All procedure changes being progressed or recently progressed by System Management are available here.

Overview of Procedure Change Process

Under the Market Rules, only the IMO or System Management can initiate the Procedure Change Process, however Rule Participants may approach the IMO or System Management, as applicable, with suggested changes to Procedures. Rule Participants intending to provide a suggestion should contact the IMO or System Management, as applicable, using the contact details below before submitting a suggestion.

Any Procedure Change Proposal must be:

  1. consistent with the Market Objectives
  2. consistent with the Market Rules, the Electricity Industry Act 2004 and Regulations

The Market Objectives are:

  1. to promote the economically efficient, safe and reliable production and supply of electricity and electricity related services in the South West interconnected system;
  2. to encourage competition among generators and retailers in the South West interconnected system, including by facilitating efficient entry of new competitors;
  3. to avoid discrimination in that market against particular energy options and technologies, including sustainable energy options and technologies such as those that make use of renewable resources or that reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions;
  4. to minimise the long-term cost of electricity supplied to customers from the South West interconnected system; and
  5. to encourage the taking of measures to manage the amount of electricity used and when it is used.

Both the IMO and System Management are subject to the same process for developing new procedures or making changes to existing procedures. Once either the IMO or System Management proposes a change, the IMO publishes a procedure change proposal, requests submissions from the public, and may convene the Market Advisory Committee to discuss the proposal.

Procedures have more process-related detail than the Market Rules and are expected to be subject to relatively frequent refinements and updates.

The issues addressed in the procedures can be quite technical and specialised, so the Market Advisory Committee has decided to convene working groups to study these issues. Where the change relates to the IMO's procedures, the IMO prepares a report on the Procedure Change Proposal which includes the amended wording, feedback received on the change, and a time and date for the new procedure to come into force. Where the change relates to System Management's procedures, System Management prepares the report, and must submit the report to the IMO for approval.

Submissions

Any person can make a submission relating to a Procedure Change Proposal, during the period indicated for public submissions. All submissions must reach the IMO before 5:00 pm (WST) on the final submission date, unless otherwise noted. A submission must clearly state which Procedure Change Proposal is being addressed, using the reference number. Please relate each submission to a single Procedure Change Proposal. Submissions should be made using the form below.

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Procedure Change Submission Form [308kB]

Contact Details

All suggestions for Procedure Changes that relate to the Power System Operation Procedures should be submitted to:

Western Power Networks - System Management Division
Attn: Neil Hay, Market Operations Planning Manager
GPO Box L921
Perth WA 6842
Fax: (08) 9427 4228
Email: market.development@westernpower.com.au

All suggestions for Procedure Changes that relate to Market Procedures should be submitted to:

Independent Market Operator
Attn: General Manager, Market Development
PO Box 7096
Cloisters Square, Perth, WA 6850
Phone: (08) 9254 4300
Fax: (08) 9254 4399
Email: market.development@imowa.com.au

This document is published in accordance with Market Rule 10.5.1 (b).