Industry Research and Development (Accelerated Connections Fund Program) Instrument 2025
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Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia
Industry Research and Development (Accelerated Connections Fund Program) Instrument 2025
I, Chris Bowen, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, as delegate of the Minister for Industry and Science, make the following instrument.
Dated 1 March 2025
Chris Bowen
Minister for Climate Change and Energy
Contents
1 Name
2 Commencement
3 Authority
4 Definitions
5 Prescribed program
6 Specified legislative power
1 Name
This instrument is the Industry Research and Development (Accelerated Connections Fund Program) Instrument 2025.
2 Commencement
(1) Each provision of this instrument specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.
- Commencement information
- Column 1 Column 2 Column 3
- Provisions Commencement Date/Details
-
- The whole of this instrument The day after this instrument is registered.
Note: This table relates only to the provisions of this instrument as originally made. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this instrument.
(2) Any information in column 3 of the table is not part of this instrument. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this instrument.
3 Authority
This instrument is made under section 33 of the Industry Research and Development Act 1986.
4 Definitions
In this instrument:
Act means the Industry Research and Development Act 1986.
AEMO means the Australian Energy Market Operator (ABN 94 072 010 327).
Kyoto Protocol means the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, done at Kyoto on 11 December 1997, as in force for Australia from time to time.
Note: The Protocol is in Australian Treaty Series 2008 No. 2 ([2008] ATS 2) and could in 2025 be viewed in the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (http://www.austlii.edu.au).
NEM means the National Electricity Market, as defined in the National Electricity Law.
Paris Agreement means the Paris Agreement, done at Paris on 12 December 2015, as in force for Australia from time to time.
Note: The Agreement is in Australian Treaty Series 2016 No. 24 ([2016] ATS 24) and could in 2025 be viewed in the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (http://www.austlii.edu.au).
Program: see subsection 5(1).
TNSP means a Transmission Network Service Provider, as defined in the National Electricity Rules.
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change means the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, done at New York on 9 May 1992, as in force for Australia from time to time.
Note: The Convention is in Australian Treaty Series 1994 No. 2 ([1994] ATS 2) and could in 2025 be viewed in the Australian Treaties Library on the AustLII website (http://www.austlii.edu.au).
5 Prescribed program
(1) For the purposes of subsection 33(1) of the Act, the Accelerated Connections Fund Program (the program) is prescribed.
(2) The program provides a closed non-competitive grant to AEMO, in partnership with TNSPs, to expedite the grid connection process for new critical renewable generation and clean storage projects in the NEM.
(3) The objective of the program is to expedite the connection process for new critical renewable generation and clean storage projects in the NEM. The program’s intended outcomes are to enhance reliability in the NEM, reduce wholesale energy prices, and contribute to emissions reduction and the decarbonisation of the electricity generation sectors by contributing toward the Government’s target of 82% renewable electricity in the NEM by 2030.
6 Specified legislative power
For the purposes of subsection 33(3) of the Act, the power of the Parliament to make laws with respect to external affairs (within the meaning of paragraph 51(xxix) of the Constitution) is specified, as it relates to measures to give effect to Australia’s obligations under one or more of the following:
- the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, particularly Article 4;
- the Kyoto Protocol, particularly Article 10;
- the Paris Agreement, particularly Article 4.