Planning and development
Our transmission planning ensures the network continues to safely and reliably meet forecast electricity demand and system strength requirements.
Network Planning
We review the transmission network annually to assess its ability to meet forecast electricity needs for the next 10 years. The review helps ensure that existing network assets are assessed for their enduring network requirements in a manner that is economic, safe and reliable. It also identifies potential solutions to meet increases in electricity demand, in advance of when action is needed.
The review findings are published in the Transmission Annual Planning Report (TAPR), a technical document that includes information about the potential future need for asset reinvestment (replacing existing assets) or network augmentation (increasing the network’s ability to carry more electricity).
Development and transmission investment
Where Powerlink identifies a need to augment or reinvest in the transmission network, we undertake the applicable investment test to identify the most cost-effective solution. The investment test or process applied will be either:
- Regulatory Investment Test for Transmission (RIT-T) for actionable or non-actionable Integrated System Plan (ISP) projects
- Priority Transmission Investment (PTI) for eligible PTI projects
In some cases, for investments above a certain threshold, after a RIT-T, the project may also need to go through a Contingent Project Application (CPA) process to secure funding approval. CPAs are made to and assessed by the Australian Energy Regulator (AER).
Consultation
Consultation is an important component of both the RIT-T and the PTI processes. Consultation provides an opportunity for interested parties to comment on the proposed credible options. It also calls for submissions from proponents of non-network solutions who may be able to provide network support or alternate services at a lower cost to the credible options under consideration, if technically feasible.