National Electricity (Victoria) Further Amendment Bill 2015 introduced to Victorian Parliament

Victorian Energy and Resources Minister Lily D’Ambrosio has introduced the National Electricity (Victoria) Further Amendment Bill 2015, aimed at making it easier for small-scale energy generators, including households with rooftop solar panels, to connect to the electricity grid.

The Bill will switch Victoria to national arrangements for connection, which require electricity distributors to follow tighter timeframes when they get a connection request.

Under the Bill, distributors must have a basic contract available to small customers and generators who want to connect to the grid.

Any customer who asks to connect must get a firm connection offer within ten business days. For solar customers, this will reduce connection waiting times by up to 55 business days.