Essential Energy and the Combined Unions met today to continue bargaining for the 2024 Enterprise Agreement. The meeting was both constructive and positive, reaching in principle agreement on a number of key matters.

Due to the constructive nature and in a sign of good faith of today’s meeting, the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) have agreed to suspend all protected industrial action, effective immediately and have notified their members accordingly.

While there remains outstanding items that need to be resolved, reaching an in-principle agreement on some of the key claims is a positive step towards finalising an agreement for all Essential Energy employees.

We will continue to keep you updated.

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.

The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has notified Essential Energy of further proposed industrial action commencing on Wednesday 18 December 2024 till Friday 20 December 2024.

Potential Impacts

The planned industrial action is likely to create unavoidable disruptions for ASPs, contractors and customers through the possible postponement of planned work. ASPs will receive notice of planned work being postponed on the morning of the job. Notice will be provided through a phone call or email that morning.

Any job that is postponed will need to be resubmitted via the Essential Connection Portal. For projects not being administered via the Essential Connections Portal, you will need to complete and submit a ‘Request for Planned Outage’ form CEOP6013 via contestableworks@essentialenergy.com.au.

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.

The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has notified Essential Energy of further proposed industrial action commencing on Thursday 12 December 2024 till Tuesday 17 December 2024.

Potential Impacts

The planned industrial action is likely to create unavoidable disruptions for ASPs, contractors and customers through the possible postponement of planned work. ASPs will receive notice of planned work being postponed on the morning of the job. Notice will be provided through a phone call or email that morning.

Any job that is postponed will need to be resubmitted via the Essential Connection Portal. For projects not being administered via the Essential Connections Portal, you will need to complete and submit a ‘Request for Planned Outage’ form CEOP6013 via contestableworks@essentialenergy.com.au.

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.

What’s Happening?

Essential Energy has updated the data utilised by the Digital Twin in the Neara platform. Effective 19 November 2024, all new designs will incorporate the latest available data from:

• LiDAR Capture point cloud
• GIS Properties

Essential Energy has also undertaken a fresh round of LiDAR capture in 2023/24. This new LiDAR data has been processed and ingested to the Digital Twin. The map below shows the current LiDAR capture across Essential Energy’s Network.

Bushfire risk priority information is up to date in the Digital Twin and displayed in the GIS properties panel. This removes the need to refer to the “Additional Properties” panel which was communicated in Bushfire Priority rating for Assets on 15 May 2024.

A data integration error has been identified in the digital twin model. This is causing, affected, Pressure Impregnated poles to default to a weaker nominal strength that is ~25% of true strength. This will likely cause the poles to fail tip load calculations and strength checks. The issue will be corrected with a rebuilding of the model early 2025.

ASPs will need to manually change any effected poles with an alternative. A flag has been built that will highlight any effected poles in a design (once work on that pole starts) and offer an appropriate replacement for the ASP to change it to (refer below screenshot). To view the video user guide, click here.

What do you need to do?

Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

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

As per our communication Updated Essential Energy model standing offers, 1 August 2024, Essential Energy has completed further enhancements to the Connection Application and model standing offer processes.

These changes include:

• Connection Application options are now expedite or negotiated.
• Terms and Conditions, Agent Consent, Connection Offer and Acceptance and Privacy sections of the Connection Application have been updated.
• Site-specific conditions will be highlighted in Annexure A of the connection contract confirmation and schedule of site-specific conditions.
• A section has been included in the Connection Contract labelled Technical Details which provides information regarding the assessment (where applicable).
• Payment confirms acceptance of the Connection Application, the documentation will be emailed.

What do you need to do?

1. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.
2. Review the updated MSOs, on Essential Energy’s website.

Further Information

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

The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has notified Essential Energy of further proposed industrial action commencing on Saturday 30 November 2024 till Wednesday 11 December 2024.

Potential Impacts

The planned industrial action is likely to create unavoidable disruptions for ASPs, contractors and customers through the possible postponement of planned work. ASPs will receive notice of planned work being postponed on the morning of the job. Notice will be provided through a phone call or email that morning.

Any job that is postponed will need to be resubmitted via the Essential Connection Portal. For projects not being administered via the Essential Connections Portal, you will need to complete and submit a ‘Request for Planned Outage’ form CEOP6013 via contestableworks@essentialenergy.com.au.

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.

What is happening?

Contestable Design has created a guideline for Level 3 Accredited Services Providers to submit Non-Standard Approvals (NSA's), listing the necessary requirements and documentation for some typical NSA's.

The Non-Standard Approvals Guideline can be found on Essential Energy's Support page, by searching for 'NSA'.

Please review the guidelines and submit the requested information to assist with your next application.

What do you need to do?

1. Review the above and follow the guidelines
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation

Further Information

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

What is happening?

A revised version of CEOM7098 - Distribution Underground Design & Construction Manual is available in the Document Library.

A Contestable Design working group has reviewed the latest issue of the manual to record some key changes and possible impacts to your designs.

Please refer to Briefing - CEOM7098 - Distribution Underground Design & Construction Manual 16. The key points are summarised in the document with a full review of the manual tabled in Appendix A.

What do you need to do?

1. View the CEOM7098 - Distribution Underground Design & Construction Manual via the Document Library.
2. Communicate this information to relevant members of your organisation.

Further Information

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

As per our communications from 6 August 2024, the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) provided notice to Essential Energy of its intention to commence protective industrial action effective from 8 August 2024.

The Electrical Trades Union (ETU) has notified Essential Energy of further proposed industrial action commencing on Saturday 23 November 2024 till Friday 29 November 2024.

Potential Impacts

The planned industrial action is likely to create unavoidable disruptions for ASPs, contractors and customers through the possible postponement of planned work. ASPs will receive notice of planned work being postponed on the morning of the job. Notice will be provided through a phone call or email that morning.

Any job that is postponed will need to be resubmitted via the Essential Connection Portal. For projects not being administered via the Essential Connections Portal, you will need to complete and submit a ‘Request for Planned Outage’ form CEOP6013 via contestableworks@essentialenergy.com.au.

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.

What is happening?

The Essential Energy ASP virtual forum was held on 14 November 2024. The link to forum slide deck, click here.

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.