Voluntarily Scheduled Resources Guidelines consultation

Timeline

Key contact:

NEMReform@aemo.com.au

Matter under consultation

On 19 December 2024, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) made a final rule (National Electricity Amendment (Integrating price-responsive resources into the NEM) Rule 2024) introducing a voluntary framework known as “dispatch mode” to integrate presently unscheduled* price-responsive energy resources into NEM scheduling and dispatch processes. The operation of the new “IPRR dispatch mode” will commence on 23 May 2027.

Clause 11.180.3(a)(2) of the National Electricity Rules (NER) stipulates that the Guidelines must be developed in accordance with the Rules consultation procedures, and published by 31 December 2025.

Many of the matters to addressed in the VSR Guidelines are specified in the NER (3.10A.3), including the setting of operational zones, technical assessments and capacity, bidding, dispatch conformance and metering.

Submissions are due to NEMReform@aemo.com.au by 5pm AEDT on 20 March 2025. Please note that submissions will be published, subject to AEMO’s consultation submission guidelines.

Scope

The VSR Guidelines will provide prospective voluntarily scheduled resource providers (VSRPs), as well as other energy market stakeholders including network system providers, retailers, aggregators, and owners/operators of VSRs, with the technical, market and regulatory requirements of participation in the dispatch mode.