IPART is the safety and regulator for NSW electricity networks. In particular, we monitor compliance with the Electricity Supply Act 1995 and the Electricity Supply (Safety and Network Management) Regulation 2014.
The Network Operators have the ultimate responsibility to comply with these regulations, and IPART also holds them accountable on behalf of the community through risk-based compliance and enforcement including our Reporting and Auditing regimes.
IPART’s regulatory powers cover all electricity network operators in NSW, including:
- TransGrid – NSW transmission network
- Ausgrid – NSW distribution network
- Endeavour Energy– NSW distribution network
- Essential Energy – NSW distribution network
- ACEREZ Partnership - A Renewable Energy Zone network
- Sydney Trains, which has its own distribution network
- Directlink – the transmission interconnector between NSW and Queensland
- Lord Howe Island – which generates and distributes its own electricity
- Metro Trains Sydney
- Light rail network operators, which have their own distribution networks
Our regulatory powers also cover network assets located in NSW but belonging to network operators based outside NSW. These include:
- Ergon Energy - Queensland
- Energex - Queensland
- Evoenergy - Australian Capital Territory
- Powercor - Victoria
- AusNet - Victoria
Serious electricity works accidents
Electricity network operators are required to report serious electricity works accidents to IPART, under section 63R of the Electricity Supply Act 1995. Licenced network operators are required to report in accordance with our Electricity Networks Reporting Manual – Incident Reporting.
IPART appoints inspectors who have a role in responding to serious electricity works accidents. Where necessary, IPART appointed inspectors will inspect the site of accidents, undertake investigations and communicate details of accidents in the interest of public information and safety. More information can be found in the fact sheets below:
Fact Sheet - Permission to disturb a site of a Serious Electricity Works Accident
Fact Sheet - IPART's role in responding to electricity network safety incidents
We have developed a Memorandum of Understanding with Safework NSW so that we can work cooperatively in responding to safety incidents on electricity networks. A copy of our Memorandum of Understanding can be found here.
Safety alerts
We publish information about serious electricity works accidents in the interests of public information and safety (section 63V of the NSW Electricity Supply Act 1995)