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    Update Essential Energy – Cancellation Of Planned Work Including ASP Outages

    What is Happening?

    Essential Energy recognises the impact that the decision to cancel planned work may have on ASP businesses. These decisions were made with consideration of the available research and recommendations on COVID-19, including from the Commonwealth and NSW Governments and health authorities.

    We have dedicated resources who are tasked with constantly reviewing the business response to COVID-19 and we are committed to complying with advice from all levels of Government, which is frequently changing to adapt with the circumstances. Our focus remains on the health and well-being of our employees, the community, our contractors and suppliers, and particularly on limiting the spread of the virus to vulnerable groups.

    We can confirm that a risk management framework has now been developed which will allow us to identify how planned outage work may proceed with the inclusion of additional control measures. It should be noted that we need to balance the potential impact of any planned outage on our customers, especially those who are vulnerable, on life support, or in self-isolation.

    We will provide more detail around the framework as soon as possible.

    What you need to do?

    1. Talk with your Network Assurance Facilitator (NAF) in your area.
    2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

    Further Information

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

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    Essential Energy – cancellation of planned work including ASP outages

    What is Happening?

    As an employer of more than 3,000 people located throughout the State delivering critical services to communities across NSW, it is vital that Essential Energy responds effectively to the unfolding Coronavirus (COVID19) crisis.

    Essential Energy has enacted its Pandemic Management Plan and established a Pandemic Preparedness Team (PPT) to proactively manage our organisational response.

    The PPT, made up of representatives from across our business, is meeting daily and will continue to meet throughout the crisis as it unfolds. The PPT is continually monitoring and assessing COVID-19 developments and recommendations, including from the Commonwealth and NSW governments, in order to shape an effective business response.

    This has led us to enact some specific control measures for our frontline staff, office-based workers and across the network.

    As part of our response to minimise the impact and spread of COVID-19, Essential Energy is suspending all planned outages, including those that involve ASP work, from Wednesday 18 March 2020, until Friday, 17 April 2020.

    There may be further changes beyond these dates as this pandemic progresses.

    As you would appreciate, planned outage work often involves teams from multiple sites or frontline employees working with ASPs. This work is being suspended to minimise the potential for COVID-19 transmission amongst employees, contractors and the community in line with recommendations for social distancing.

    We understand these changes may be difficult to accommodate, but we assure you we have not made his decision lightly. Ultimately, we have a responsibility to keep a safe and reliable power supply on for our customers across regional, rural and remote NSW, especially at a time where different members of the community may need to self-isolate. Regrettably, we have concluded that that these arrangements are necessary to enable us to continue to meet our obligations.

    Text messages will be sent out to affected ASPs today informing them of the situation. We will reschedule all outages after consultation with our ASP partners when possible.

    Essential Energy is committed to doing everything we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

    The safety of our people and the community is our highest priority, and we believe that the steps we have taken today are necessary in these unprecedented times.

    We thank you for your patience and understanding during this time.

    What you need to do?

    1. Talk with your Network Assurance Facilitator (NAF) in your area, relating to outages that have been cancelled.
    2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

    Further Information

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

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    Level 1 ASP Authorisation Agreement Video

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    Background

    Essential Energy launched the Level 1 ASP Authorisation Agreement on 5 February 2020.

    From 1 September 2020, Level 1 ASP companies or entities will be required to enter a Level 1 ASP Authorisation Agreement with Essential Energy to continue to undertake and / or facilitate contestable works on or near our electricity distribution network.

    To help you to understand more about the agreement we have created a short video with more information.

    What do you need to do?

    1. Watch the video on Level 1 ASP Authorisation Agreement available on Essential Engagement/documents
    2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation

    Further Information

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

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    Delays with Design and Certification Requests

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    Essential Energy are experiencing an influx of Design and Certification requests, which have resulted in a backlog.

    We are putting plans in place to address the backlog and process your requests as soon as possible.

    In the meantime, there will be a slight delay in processing Design and Certification requests. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

    Further Information

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

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    FYI Phishing Emails

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    What is happening

    Last week one of Essential Energy’s mailing lists was targeted by a phishing email with a PDF link that was malware. We would like to remind our ASP partners to be vigilant for these emails and maintain your cyber security.

    A phishing email is a fraudulent attempt to obtain your sensitive information by a sender disguising themselves as a trustworthy entity.

    If you receive a phishing email please take the following actions:

    • Delete the email
    • Do not open it and do not click on any links
    • If you click on a suspicious link, we recommend you change all your passwords
    • Do not forward the email

    Further Information

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

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    New Connections for Bushfire Affected Customers

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    When you have a bushfire affected customer who needs to be connected to the Essential Energy Network you will need to fill in a new connection application in all cases where rebuilding is required.

    The connection application should be submitted with the NMI attached to the site prior to the fires – regardless of the current status of the NMI – if the customer can’t locate their bill they can contact Essential Energy’s contact centre on 13 23 91 or their retailer will be able to help.

    If the NMI has been made Extinct, then Essential Energy will contact the ASP or customer to advise they will need to establish an account with a Retailer and a new NMI will be required.

    What do you need to do?

    Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

    Further Information

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

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    Level 1 ASP Authorisation Agreement Fact Sheet

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    What is happening?

    Essential Energy will be launching our Level 1 ASP Authorisation Agreement on 5 February 2020.

    From 1 September 2020, Level 1 ASP companies or entities will be required to enter a Level 1 ASP Authorisation Agreement with Essential Energy to continue to undertake and / or facilitate contestable works on or near our electricity distribution network.

    The Contract and a Fact Sheet are available on the Document Library, to help you understand the purpose of the Agreement and how to apply.

    What do you need to do?

    1. Review the fact sheet and agreement available on the Document Library
    2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation


    Further Information

    We will be providing a video in the coming weeks with further information on our Authorisation Agreement and sending you an invitation with more information and to start the authorisation process.

    If you need further information or would like to ask a question, please email aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au

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    Further ASP Outage Cancellations for Southern & South-Eastern Regions of Essential Energy

    What is Happening?

    Essential Energy’s network was significantly damaged during the devastating fires across the south cost of NSW. To ensure the community’s safety and to allow our resources to concentrate on our recovery efforts from the bushfire damage, Essential Energy is further cancelling planned outages for two more weeks (9 February to 23 February 2020) at the following depots:

    • Bega
    • Bombala
    • Cooma
    • Jindabyne
    • Moruya


    Essential Energy will be contacting the impacted ASPs that have been identified as having an outage being cancelled. Other areas should proceed as planned, however impacts from resources travelling to support the response may affect individual ASP outages.

    There may be further impacts beyond the 23 February as we move through the recovery effort. As you can appreciate it’s not possible for us to forecast what these impacts will be, but we’re committed to ensuring we communicate as soon as we possibly can. Essential Energy has employees embedded in the Emergency Operational Centres, working closely with the Rural Fire Service and other agencies.

    Essential Energy will reschedule cancelled outages after consultation with our ASP partners once the current emergency situation has been managed.

    What do you need to do?

    1. Please contact your local Network Assurance Facilitator or Essential Energy contact before doing work on or near our network. Where network supply is not available to conduct testing these premises are to be left disconnected and secured with a danger tag. Contact your local Essential Energy representative to co-ordinate connection when the network supply is restored.
    2. Remember our network is in an abnormal state and ensure that you put your safety first. Be on the lookout for temporary generation connections that may be back-energising installations.
    3. All ASPs are only allowed to undertake work on or near the network that they are accredited and authorised to perform (eg only overhead authorised ASPs are to perform overhead service works).
    4. Please communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation and we thank you for your patience and understanding during this difficult time.
    5. Review the above etc
    6. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
    7. View this communication via Essential Engagement at Essential Engagement/ASP


    Further Information

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

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    Deadends 7/3.00 AAAC Supplier Removed from the Approved Materials List

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    Essential Energy catalogue number 278010 – Deadends 7/3.00 AAAC one supplier has been removed from the approved materials list for safety reasons and must not be used on the network.

    A new version of the approved material list was published on 30 January 2020.

    What do you need to do?

    1. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
    2. Review CEOM7004 – Standard Contestable (Approved) materials list on the Document Library
    Further Information

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

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    Safety Brief 892 - Ongoing Works in Fire Affected Grounds

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    What is Happening?

    As Essential Energy’s response to the bushfire events across the state continue, we are seeing a number of potentially hazardous situations present themselves to those working on the Essential Energy network.

    Safety Brief 892 – Ongoing Works in Fire Affected Grounds is being shared for your information and can be accessed from Essential Energy’s Document Library or Essential Engagement/ASP Engagement.


    During this Bushfire time we ask you to:

    • Contact your local Network Assurance Facilitator or Essential Energy contact before doing work on or near our network. Where network supply is not available to conduct testing these premises are to be left disconnected and secured with a danger tag. Contact your local Essential Energy representative to co-ordinate connection when the network supply is restored.
    • Remember our network is in an abnormal state and ensure that you put your safety first. Be on the lookout for temporary generation connections that may be back-energising installations.
    • That all ASPs are only allowed to undertake work on or near the network that they are accredited and authorised to perform (eg only overhead authorised ASPs are to perform overhead service works).


    Further Information

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