Security Enablement Procedures Consultation

Consultation process

Key contact

Email: [email protected]

Background

In March 2024, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) released its final determination on the Improving security frameworks for the energy transition (ISF) rule change.

The rule evolves existing frameworks with the aim of ensuring sufficient security services are provided as the power system continues to transition to higher penetrations of inverter-based resources (IBR). It requires AEMO to assess and enable the necessary security services in operational timeframes to ensure that the power system is secure day-to-day.

The enablement of security services under the ISF Rule commenced on the 2 December 2025 and must be conducted in accordance with the Security Enablement Procedures (Procedures) that were published on the 31 August 2025. The Procedures set out a methodology for determining and meeting system security requirements, in addition to requirements in agreements to be entered by Transmission Network Service Providers.

The 2026 consultation is the first update to the Procedures since their initial publication. It is conducted in accordance with National Electricity Rules (NER) 4.4A.6(b) and the standard rules consultation process in NER 8.9.2.

Scope

Key changes in the Security Enablement Procedures include:

• an update on approach for stable voltage waveform requirements,
• clarification of when an ‘always-on’ contract is enabled,
• removal of the cost threshold, introduced under the current Procedures,
• updated assumptions for identifying commercial operations for multi-unit plant,
• a new approach to notifying market of an IT system outage, and
clarification that AEMO may require a transitional service to be enabled through a process other than NER 4.4A.1.

The proposed effective date for the updated Security Enablement Procedures (v3) is 28 October 2026.