Level 1 ASPs

Essential Connections Design Go Live Support Sessions

Drop-in support sessions have been scheduled post go-live to support you and address your enquiries live. These sessions should be your first point of contact to ask questions.

What do you need to do?

Register for the Drop-in Support Sessions that suits you.

Further Information

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

Essential Connections will be unavailable from 18th October (5pm) to 24th October 2022 (9am).

As you may be aware, Essential Energy has been working on the next release of the Essential Connections portal which will support the design and construction phases of the end-to-end connections process to be managed in the one system.

To prepare for this next release, a number of activities need to be undertaken to migrate data from the existing system to Essential Connections.

What do you need to know?

From 18th October (5pm):

• The Essential Connections applications and enquiries portal will not be available from 5pm, Tuesday 18th October until 9am (AEDT), Monday 24th October 2022.
• Similarly, the Design portal will not be accessible during this time.
• There will be a freeze on design information requests, design submission requests, asset label requests, non-standard approvals and re-certification requests (that have been submitted via the design portal).
• All new design information requests will be required to be submitted via the new Essential Connections portal and will not be accepted via email.

What do you need to do?

If you are not already registered user of the new Essential Connections & Design portal, please Register Here.

Essential Connections Portal will be available on the 24th of October 2022 @ 09:00am

Further Information

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

Weekly update on Essential Connections

We continue to work towards 24 October 2022 for go live.

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 Slide Pack.

The next session will be held on Wednesday 19th October 2022 from 8:30am – 9:30am and cover:

Follow this link Join Zoom Meeting if you are interested in joining next week’s meeting.

Transitions activities

Please remember that from 5:00PM on 18 October 2022, the current design portal will no longer be accessible as we will start migrating data across to the new system.

ASP support sessions

Level 3 ASP Essential Connection Go Live Support Session – 25th October 2022.

Level 1 & 3 ASP Information Sessions – as usual each Wednesday from 8.30am – 9.30am.

NOTE: all ASP sessions from go live will be focused on delivering in-session system and process support for Design (October) and for Construction (November & December).

Design Information Application (DIA) submissions in the NECF portal

If you have an existing connection application that was lodged in the old portal and need to submit a Design Information Application (DIA), you will receive a communication providing you with an Essential Connections Number (ECN) and a case number to enable you to submit a DIA in the new system.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the content covered in the last Essential Connections ASP information session.
2. Please complete our readiness survey. It will only take 2 minutes.

Further Information

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

What is Happening?

Unfortunately, system issues with submission of connection applications and enquiries in the new Essential Connections Portal have resulted in delays in processing applications.

At the moment, the average time to process an application is approximately 15 to 20 days.

We apologise and ask for your patience as we put plans in place to resolve system issues and onboard additional staff to reduce the backlog and process your requests within our standard target of 10 days.

To assist in getting an application completed, please ensure you have filled out the application accurately and all required documents are uploaded.

What do you need to do?

1. Make sure your application is filled in with acturate information and you have attached all the required documents
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation and your clients.
3. View this communication via Essential Engagement.

Further Information

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

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 working towards Monday 10 October 2022 to roll out the Standard Connections process, additional testing activities are required to resolve the defects identified and enable a smooth transition to the new solution for our customers.

What do you need to know?

We are now working towards Monday 24 October 2022 as our revised go-live date. In line with this decision, the current design portal will be suspended from Tuesday, 18 October 2022 at 5pm and you will be unable to add to or access your design information until the new Essential Connections portal is up and running on Monday 24 October 2022. This means that your existing design data will be migrated to the new portal.

What happens next?

Our weekly ASP information sessions remain in place to keep you abreast of any updates and answer any questions you may have.

For Level 3 ASPs, training sessions initially scheduled from 12th to 20th October 2022 will be rescheduled to take place after go-live. Please look out for updated calendar invitations which will be sent to you shortly.

For Level 1 ASPs, training sessions will be scheduled to take place after go live. Please look out for calendar invitations over the next couple of months.

Thanks again 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

As we get closer to go-live on 10th October 2022, we highly recommend that you attend a session to ask any questions you may have.

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 Design training that is available to support you in using Essential Connections. The sessions in October will be more detailed and you will have the opportunity to go into the system.

The training pack and recording will be shared at the conclusion of the design sessions next week.

Please note that Construction Training targeting L1 ASPs will be scheduled at a later date.

Cases in previous Connections portal

If you have existing applications in the previous Connections portal, you will require an Essential Connections Number (ECN) and a new case number so that you can access these cases within the new Essential Connections Portal.

You will receive an email on 10th October 2022 that will provide you with the ECNs that have been created for your current application cases.

If you have any issues with these numbers, please contact aspinfo@essentialenergy.com.au.

Transitions Activity

As a reminder, from 5th October 2022:

• The current design portal will no longer be accessible.
• There will be a freeze on design DIAs, design submissions, asset label requests, non-standard approvals and recertification's (that are not in the contestable works system).
• No new DIA jobs will be accepted via the contestable works email.

Continue to submit easements and pioneer scheme cases until 10th October 2022 via email – then it will move to the Essential Connections Portal.

Any activity currently submitted and started via the contestable works email will continue in that system until completion of the project.

OKTA Passwords

We are serious about cybersecurity at Essential Energy and to keep our customers, partners and employees cybersafe, we have specific requirements for passwords. All passwords, including for OKTA, need to be 12 digits in length and have a combination of numbers, special characters and upper and lower case letters. Given this makes passwords more secure, they will only need to be updated annually.

Check out these interesting stats:

Devices

Tablets and phones can be used in the field for interfacing with Essential Connections and Youreka.

When we go live with Construction all Level1 Asps will require access to smart devices in the field – smart phone; i-pad/tablet and/or laptops as it will not be possible to submit any project information via any mechanism other than Salesforce. Yureka, the on-line/off-line form

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 the survey readiness survey. It only takes 2 minutes!

What do you need to do?

1. Review the attached overview presentation and watch the session recording by clicking on the Essential Connections Information Session.
2. Complete the readiness survey.
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.

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 Design training that is available to support you in using Essential Connections. Please note that Construction Training targeting Level 1 ASPs will be scheduled at a later date.

NOTE: the Design training is not restricted to Level 3 ASPs – If you are an Level 1 ASP but work intensively in the Design submission process please feel free to register and attend.

The training pack and recording will be shared at the conclusion of the design sessions next week.

Transition to Essential Connections

As a result of the updated go-live dates, cutover dates will move. We are working towards a new cutover date of 5th October 2022 (commencement of the transition to the new solution) and will confirm this date next week.

As we transition data to the new Essential Connections Portal, the below activities will cease or change between 5th and 10th October 2022. See the below image for detail.

Easements

The following information will be sent to law societies and frequent legal representatives that submit easement cases. A user guide will be uploaded to the website and shared with you prior to go-live.

Essential Energy is introducing the Essential Connections Portal, a self-service portal for all customers and their representatives to:

• Submit documentation for Easements.
• Make upfront payments with the easy-to-use online payment gateway.

Before you can access the portal, make an enquiry, submit information, or submit easement documents, you will be required to register and activate an account with Essential Energy.

To create a new account, head to the Essential Connections Registration page on the Essential Energy website. How to Video Guide will assist you – follow the ‘Customers’ menu.

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 the survey 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.

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