Question Without Notice No. 123 asked in the Legislative Council on 13 March 2024 by Hon Dr Steve Thomas

Parliament: 41 Session: 1  

ELECTRICITY — OUTAGES — KALGOORLIE 

123. Hon Dr STEVE THOMAS to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for  Energy: 

I refer to the live activation of non-co-optimised essential system services as part of western  energy market reform of 1 October 2023 that replaces historical frameworks for network  central services and dispatch support services. 

(1) Is the provision of Kalgoorlie's power supply captured under WEM's non-co-optimised  essential system services incorporating system restart services as the Australian  Energy Market Operator procurers system restart services to restart the south west  interconnected system in the event of a widespread blackout? 

(2) If yes to (1), who is the provider? 

(3) If no to (1), when will Kalgoorlie's power supply be safeguarded under WEMs' non-co optimised essential system services? 

Hon DARREN WEST replied: 

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question. On behalf of the Minister for  Energy I provide the following answer. 

(1) No. The Australian Energy Market Operator has existing system restart services contracts,  procured under the wholesale electricity market rules, that would enable it to restart  the entire south west interconnected system in the event of a widespread blackout.  Western Power has a separate SRS contract to restart the Kalgoorlie system when that  system is islanded. 

(2) Not applicable. 

(3) Western Power will soon commence the procurement of new non-co-optimised essential  system services reliability services, including SRS services, for Kalgoorlie.