The Independent Market Operator is an industry-funded organisation whose role is to operate and develop the Wholesale Electricity Market and the Gas Information Services Project in Western Australia. The WEM operates in the South-West Interconnected System which serves most of Western Australia’s population of more than 2 million.
Under the Wholesale Electricity Market Rules, the Independent Market Operator must publish a Statement of Opportunities Report providing information on existing supply capacity and future electricity demand to parties considering participation in the Reserve Capacity Mechanism and to set the Reserve Capacity Requirement for the upcoming Capacity Year. This report provides forecasts of maximum peak demand and energy usage for the South West Interconnected System for the following 10 years. These forecasts are used to determine the Reserve Capacity Requirement for the following certification cycle.
Under the GSI Rules, the Independent Market Operator is also responsible for preparing and publishing the Gas Statement of Opportunities, a periodic statement to include information and assessments relating to medium and long term natural gas supply and demand, transmission and storage capacity in the State. In 2013, the Independent Market Operator published its inaugural Gas Statement of Opportunities report.
The Independent Market Operator has now been a client of the National Institute for more than 10 years. The Institute provides annual economic and demand forecasting services to support the Independent Market Operator prepare its Electricity Statement of Opportunities and Gas Statement of Opportunities reports.
The National Institute develops forecasts of annual sent out electrical energy demand within the South West Interconnected System.
The National Institute also develops forecasts of electricity peak demand within the South West Interconnected System
Benefit to the client
In 2013, the Independent Market Operator asked the National Institute to assist with it with the preparation of the inaugural Gas Statement of Opportunities report and its subsequent update report. The National Institute develops the projections of aggregate (domestic) demand for and supply of natural gas in Western Australia for the upcoming ten years. The National Institute also develops the projections for Western Australia economy for the upcoming ten years that are used in the forecasts.
