Chair of the Clean Energy Regulator

Notice of the Clean Energy Regulator electricity metering data matching program

The Clean Energy Regulator has a signed Memorandum of Understanding with the Australian Energy Market Operator.

The Clean Energy Regulator will make filtered data requests and collect selected records from databases maintained by the Australian Energy Market Operator, with respect to location address data, metered electricity consumption data and tariff data across the National Energy Market.

Categories of individuals potentially impacted include:

• Agents registered with the agency for the purpose of creating Small-Scale Technology Certificates.
• Households where a photovoltaic system or solar water heater has been installed and verified as eligible for the creation of small-scale technology certificates.
• Participants in the Australian Government’s Emissions Reduction Fund (Participants).

This acquired data will be electronically matched with data obtained by the agency under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 to administer the Small-Scale Renewable Energy Scheme and the Carbon Farming (Carbon Credits) Act 2011 to verify the proper creation of certificates and issuance of Australian Carbon Credit Units.  

This program is called the Clean Energy Regulator electricity metering data matching program and it will enable the agency to:

• Identify non-compliance and fraud under the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000, with respect to claims made by registered agents or registered persons for small-scale technology certificates to which they are not entitled.
• Identify non-compliance and fraud under the Carbon Farming (Carbon Credits) Act 2011, with respect to claims made by Participants to which they are not entitled.
• Gain insights from the data that may help to develop and implement treatment strategies to improve voluntary compliance; which may include educational or compliance activities as appropriate.
• Obtain intelligence to increase the Clean Energy Regulator’s understanding of the behaviour and compliance profiles of individuals and organisations participating in the scheme.

A document describing this program has been prepared and lodged with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). A copy of this document is available on the Clean Energy Regulator’s website or by emailing SpecialPurposeDataSteward@cleanenergyregulator.gov.au with reference to the electricity metering data matching program.

The Clean Energy Regulator complies with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s Guidelines on Data Matching in Australian Government Administration (2014), which includes standards for data matching to protect the privacy of individuals. A full copy of the Clean Energy Regulator’s privacy policy can be assessed at http://www.cleanenergyregulator.gov.au/About/Policies-and-publications/Condensed-privacy-policy.