Short delay to Standard Connections go live in the Essential Connections solution

As you know, we have been preparing the implementation of our new solution, which will support the design and construction phases of the end-to-end connections process to be managed in the Essential Connections portal. Whilst the project was looking to roll out the Standard Connections process on 26th September, testing activities have identified the requirement to resolve a number of defects prior to go live to enable a successful transition to the new solution which will benefit our customers.

We are now working towards Monday 10th October as our revised go-live date and are confident that this additional time will allow for less disruption for our customers' day-to-day business.

What does this mean for you?

For now, you will continue operating as usual until we are ready to implement the solution. We are hoping that this extra time will allow you to continue attending information and training sessions to get familiar with the system and ask us any questions you may have. Please find below the details of any upcoming sessions for Level 1 & 3 ASPs.

What happens next?

We encourage you to attend one of the following training sessions to help you get familiar with the Essential Connections portal. We are here to answer any questions and will provide you with further updates in our scheduled opt-in sessions. Thank you for your understanding and continuous support during the transition period.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

Weekly Update on Essential Connections

Please find attached the Essential Connections overview presented during the weekly update session. If you missed out or would like to revisit any of the information, click on the Essential Connections Information Session to view the recording and the ASP information session.

The next session will be as follows:

Follow this link to Join Zoom Meeting.

Training

A reminder of the training that is available to support you in using Essential Connections including sessions that have been added for L1ASPs.

Transition to Essential Connections

As a reminder, as of 14th September, you are no longer able to:

• Use the Design Portal for design enquiries, general enquiries, closed project enquiries, easement only requests and Notice of Arrangement (NoA) only requests.
• Submit enquiries or applications through the NECF Portal.

Alternative arrangements are in place until the new Essential Connections portal is live on 27th September.

As we transition data to the new Essential Connections Portal, certain activity will cease or change between 21st and 27th September. See the below image.

Readiness Survey

A reminder: Please complete the readiness survey. This helps us to understand how confident you are feeling in using the new system and ways of working. Access via readiness survey. It only takes 2 minutes!

What do you need to do?

1. Review the transition information and ASP session information pack and recording.
2. Complete the readiness survey.
3. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

New ARTC design specification for overhead rail crossings

Earlier this year, the ARTC published a new design specification EEG-00-01 Requirements for Electric Aerials Crossing ARTC Infrastructure. The new document now replaces the former PYS 02 specification.

EEG-00-01 modernises ARTC specifications, aligns design requirements with AS/NZS 7000, simplifies the design process and compliance and improves construction outcomes.

For example, Essential Energy’s standard Wind Return Periods (see minimum below) and strength reduction can now be used. Interpretation and application of the old PYS 02 ‘Factors of Safety’ is no longer required.

Key changes include:

• A minimum 100 year Wind Return Period (WRP) can be used for lines up to 66kV. A 400 year WRP is required for 132kV and above.
• Essential Energy’s standard strength reduction factors apply. This means it is no longer necessary to create separate Neara models to assess rail crossing spans.
• Crossarms supporting crossing spans can now be attached with eyebolts. The requirements to band crossarms to poles has been removed.
• It is no longer necessary to concrete timber pole foundations (in fact, Section 3.2 forbids it).
• Composite poles and crossarms can officially be used

UGL Regional Linx requirements.

UGL Regional Linx has replaced John Holland Rail as operator of Transport for NSW’s Country Regional Network.

UGL has a general and overarching design specification CRN CS 540 Service Installations in the Rail Corridor. However, they do not have specific design criteria for overhead powerline designs which cross their rail corridor. Its requirements are as per CRN CS 540 Clause 5.3.1 General:

‘Aerial crossings for electrical, telecommunications and other utilities shall be designed and installed in accordance with relevant industry and Australian Standards.’

We have confirmed that UGL will be satisfied if designs are compliant with both the ARTC’s EEG-00-01 specification, and Essential Energy design and construction standards (which also comply with AS/NZS 7000). This effectively makes the design requirements for both ARTC and UGL jurisdictions the same. (Please note that VicTrack and Queensland Rail have separate requirements.)

Updates to standards:

In the coming months, we will update:

• our design manuals, including CEOM7097, CEOM7081 and relevant standard construction drawings
• rail specific information in the Neara Environments spreadsheet.

Reminder for design certifications that contain rail crossings.

Any design that contains a rail crossing will need to be approved by the relevant rail authority. Please submit your compliant plan to Essential Energy for ‘Endorsement’ prior to submitting your application to the rail authority. Our Design and Certification Officer will stamp the plan and return it to you to forward it on.

Once ‘In Principle’ approval is obtained from the rail authority, you can submit this to Essential Energy and we will finalise the certification and stamp the plan as ‘Certified’.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the above and start using the new standards in your design. Inflight projects that have not been submitted should be converted to the new standards. There is no requirement to amend current certified designs.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
3. View this communication via Essential Engagement

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

Weekly Update on Essential Connections

Please find attached the Essential Connections overview presented during the weekly update session. If you missed out or would like to revisit any of the information, click on the Essential Connections Information Session to view the recording and the ASP information session presentation.

The next session will be as follows:

Here is a reminder of the Zoom link: Join Zoom Meeting.

Readiness Survey

Our readiness survey helps us to understand how confident you are feeling in using the new system and ways of working. If you have not had a chance to complete, please access readiness survey it takes 2 minutes to complete.

This will help us to make your experience as smooth as possible and tailor our approach to your needs so that you feel supported throughout the process.

Training

To support you in using Essential Connections, we’ve organised training sessions that you can attend. The first sessions are targeted at L3 ASPs. We’ll schedule additional sessions for L3 and L1 ASPs and will communicate these shortly.

These sessions run for one hour and will cover the following:

• Accessing and logging on to the portal
• Overview of the external portal
• Overview of system functionality, tips and tricks to navigate the system including case creation and management

Transition to Essential Connections

Before we go live with undertaking Design and Construction processes in Essential Connections, we will undertake a series of activities during a period called ‘cutover’. This is where we prepare to transition from the Design Portal (used by Level 3 ASPs) to the new Essential Connections Portal.

During this period there are some key dates when we need to complete or stop doing activities in the Design Portal. At present we are aiming to commence our transition into the new Essential Connections Portal from 5pm, Wednesday 21 September until 9am on Tuesday, 27 September. During this time, you will be unable to submit any documentation or work within the Design Portal.

These are the key dates and activities from 14 September that you need to be aware of:

Note: Previously submitted design enquiries are visible in the new Essential Connections Portal

This table outlines cutover arrangements for other activities from 20 September:

What do you need to do?

1. Review the above information
2. Complete the readiness survey
3. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What is Happening?

Essential Energy has recently brought together our Contestable Design and Distribution Connections Planning teams under our Contestable Network Solutions Manager.

What are the benefits?

This will improve customer experience and reduce assessment timeframes through:

1. A dedicated manager for distribution connections, who will support teams, streamline processes, and proactively promote great customer service
2. A single point of contact for managing distribution-related design phase escalations
3. Faster network planning decisions, based on current and short-term state of the network.

Escalation process

If you have a complaint or enquiry, please follow the Contestable Work’s escalation process.

1. Contact the Design and Certification Officer with the initial request to escalate an issue
2. The Design and Certification Officers will instruct the Team Leader to call you.
3. If the Team Leader cannot resolve the issue, Glenn Leman will make a call.
4. If Glenn needs to escalate, he will brief Paul Thompson.
5. Paul Thompson will call to discuss the issue and aim to resolve it.
6. If you remain dissatisfied, David Shepherd (Group Head Network Investment and Maintenance) will make a final determination.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the above and ensure you update your contacts in email and phone.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
3. View this communication via Essential Engagement.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

Access our Essential Connections information sessions

Thanks to those of you who attended the information session on Essential Connections, If you missed out, or would like to revisit any of the information, you can click on Essential Connections Information Session to view the session recording and the ASP information session presentation.

Our next session will take place on Wednesday 7th September 8:30 am - 9:30 am and focus on the following:

We’ll continue to walk through the end-to-end process and key changes in subsequent sessions.

Here is a reminder of the Zoom link: Join Zoom Meeting.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the overview presentation and watch the session recording by clicking on the Essential Connections Information Session.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What is Happening?

Essential Energy is working to improve customer experiences across the end-to-end connections process by upgrading technology and improving processes. Improvements include the new Essential Connections self-service portal, which will be live from Monday 6 June 2022.

All Low Voltage (LV) connection enquiries and applications are to be created and submitted through the new portal from Monday 6 June 2022.

All High Voltage (HV) enquiries, applications, design, construction, testing and quality assurance processes will be transitioned to Essential Connections in future phases of the project.

Changes from the current Low Voltage enquiry and application forms

The new Essential Connections portal will be your one-stop-shop for all your enquiries and applications.

The portal will automate many manual processes. It will also integrate with other systems to provide data from organisations such as Spatial Services NSW (address validation and auto-population of lot/DP) and the Clean Energy Council (inverter and battery lists) to help you complete your applications.

Other exciting changes coming with the release of Essential Connections include:

• new and more targeted application categories, such as load only, generation only, load and generation, temporary builders supply, unmetered supply and asset relocation
• email/SMS notifications for job progress (no more calling Essential Energy for updates)
• electronic signature for Connection Offer acceptance (no more printing and signing)
• standard connections are automatically approved
• easy-to-use online payment gateway for upfront payments
• knowledge articles on the Essential Energy website to help you use and understand the new portal.

Getting ready for Monday 6 June 2022

Read only access to Connections web portal from Wednesday 1 June to Monday 6 June (no applications can be submitted from midday Wednesday 1 June).

From midday Wednesday 1 June, connection enquiries and applications will no longer be submitted via the Connections web portal, while we switch over to the new Essential Connections portal, which is scheduled to be released on Monday 6 June.

Registered users will still be able to log in with read only access to view applications previously submitted.

Activating your Essential Connections account for Level 1 & 2 ASPs and ECs (Level 3 ASPs will use that same access as the BetterConnect portal)

Before you can access the Essential Connections portal and submit enquiries and applications, you will need to activate your account.

On Sunday 5 June, you will receive a welcome email from our secure access management provider OKTA with a link through to the essential connections portal

Note: Solar Retailers need to self-register via the Essential Energy website to use the new Essential Connections portal. Registration will be available on Monday 6 June.

Introduction of fees and upfront payment

The Essential Connections portal enables Essential Energy to charge for Ancillary Network Services (ANS) fees, as required by the Australian Energy Regulator. Up until now, we have not charged for some of these fees, as our systems did not support such charging. To find out more, read introduction of new fees and upfront payment on Essential Engagement.

We previously communicated that ANS fees and upfront payment were scheduled to be charged from Monday 16 May. The new date is 6 June, to align with the release of the Essential Connections portal.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the above, watch the video by click on Essential Connections Portal preview and look out for your activation email on 5 June 2022.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What is happening?

The AER has approved Essential Energy’s new regulatory charges for Ancillary Network Services from 1 July 2022.

As an Accredited Service Provider (ASP), Authorised Person (AUP) or Electrical Contractor (EC), please use the new charges applicable to the services you provide when preparing quotations for work to be undertaken after 30 June 2022.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the 2022-23 Pricing Schedules for Ancillary Network Services available on the Essential Energy website.
2. Accredited Service Providers, Authorised Persons and Electrical Contractors should consider pricing changes when preparing quotations for customers regarding future work.
3. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
4. View this communication via Essential Engagement.

Further information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What is Happening?

The first release of the Essential Connections portal for Low Voltage (LV) enquiries and applications, scheduled for Monday 16 Monday, has been delayed.

Due to unforeseen technical issues outside of Essential Energy’s control we will not be able to release the new portal on 16 May as planned.

Please continue to submit all LV connection enquiries and applications through the existing enquiry and connections portals available on the Connecting to the Network page on our website.

It is expected at this stage that the release of the portal will be delayed until June 2022

We will keep you informed and will be able to share more accurate information on the revised date in the coming weeks.

Introduction of fees and upfront payment

We previously communicated that the introduction of Ancillary Network Services (ANS) fees and upfront payments were scheduled to be charged from Monday 16 May. These fees will also be delayed to align with the release of the new Essential Connections portal.

What do you need to do?

1. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

What is Happening?

Essential Energy is working to improve customer experiences across the end-to-end connections process by upgrading technology and improving processes. Improvements include the new Essential Connections self-service portal, which we are targeting for Monday,16 May 2022.

All Low Voltage (LV) connection enquiries and applications are to be created and submitted through the new portal from 16 May 2022.

All High Voltage (HV) enquiries, applications, design, construction, testing and quality assurance processes will be transitioned to Essential Connections in future phases of the project.

Changes from the current Low Voltage enquiry and application forms

The new Essential Connections portal will be your one-stop-shop for all your enquiries and applications.

The portal will automate many manual processes. It will also integrate with other systems to provide data from organisations such as Spatial Services NSW (address validation and auto-population of lot/DP) and the Clean Energy Council (inverter and battery lists) to help you complete your applications.

Other exciting changes coming with the release of Essential Connections include:

• new and more targeted application categories, such as load only, generation only, load and generation, temporary builders supply, unmetered supply and asset relocation
• email/SMS notifications for job progress (no more calling Essential Energy for updates)
• electronic signature for Connection Offer acceptance (no more printing and signing)
• standard connections are automatically approved
• easy-to-use online payment gateway for upfront payments
• knowledge articles on the Essential Energy website to help you use and understand the new portal.

Getting ready for 16 May 2022

Read only access to Connections web portal from 11 May to 16 May (no applications can be submitted)

From midday 11 May, connection enquiries and applications will no longer be submitted via the Connections web portal, while we switch over to the new Essential Connections portal, which is scheduled to be released on 16 May.

Registered users will still be able to log in with read only access to view applications previously submitted.

Activating your Essential Connections account for Level 1 & 2 ASPs and ECs (Level 3 ASPs will use that same access as the BetterConnect portal)

Before you can access the Essential Connections portal and submit enquiries and applications, you will need to activate your account.

On Sunday 15 May, you will receive a welcome email from our secure access management provider OKTA with a link through to the essential connections portal

Note: Solar Retailers need to self-register via the Essential Energy website to use the new Essential Connections portal. Registration will be available on 16 May.

Introduction of fees and upfront payment

The Essential Connections portal enables Essential Energy to charge for Ancillary Network Services (ANS) fees, as required by the Australian Energy Regulator. Up until now, we have not charged for some of these fees, as our systems did not support such charging. To find out more, read introduction of new fees and upfront payment on Essential Engagement.

We previously communicated that ANS fees and upfront payment were scheduled to be charged from Monday 2 May. The new date is 16 May, to align with the release of the Essential Connections portal.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the above, watch the video by click on Essential Connections Portal preview and look out for your activation email on 15th May 2022.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

If you need further information, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.