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2011 Compliance Year Update

Renewable energy power stations

To ensure the validity of your large-scale generation certificates (LGCs) please adhere to the following processes:

Date	LGC process for Renewable Energy Power Stations
14 December 2011	Deadline for Renewable Energy Power Stations to create LGCs to avoid delays in the LGC validation, registration and transfer processes.
14 December - 23 December 2011	LGCs created after the 14 December 2011 will be validated by ORER on a first in, first out basis.
31 December 2011	You will NOT be able to create LGCs for the 2010 generation year after this date. You will be able to create LGCs for 2011 until 31 December 2012.
14 January 2012	ORER will make every effort to validate LGCs created in the 2011 year by 14 January 2012 so that you will be able to pay the 8 cents per LGC registration fee and transfer LGCs for the 2011 compliance year by Tuesday 14 February 2012. This is dependent on ORER receiving evidence from you to support the creation of LGCs. Note: LGCs created by the 14 December 2011 will be given priority in ORER's validation checks.
14 February 2012	Deadline for lodgement to the ORER of the 2011 Electricity Generation Return in respect of 2011 renewable electricity generation detailed under section 20 of the Act.

Agents

To ensure the validity of your RECs please adhere to the following processes:

Date	Certificate process for Agents
14 December 2011	Deadline for Agents to create STCs and LGCs to avoid delays in the STC and LGC validation, registration and transfer processes.
14 December - 23 December 2011	STCs and LGCs created after the 14 December 2011 will be validated by the ORER on a first in, first out basis.
31 December 2011	Absolute deadline for the creation of valid STCs and LGCs eligible for surrender by liable entities against a 2011 or earlier year liability.
14 January 2012	ORER will make every effort to validate STCs and LGCs created in the 2011 year by 14 January 2012 so that you will be able to pay the STC and LGC registration fees. This is dependent on ORER receiving evidence from you to support the creation of STCs and LGCs. Note: STCs and LGCs created by the 14 December 2011 will be given priority in ORER's validation checks.
14 February 2012	Deadline for lodgement to ORER of the 2011 Solar Water Heater and Small Generation Unit Return. Under section 23F of the Act the return refers to registered persons who create more than 250 STCs and LGCs for solar water heaters and small generation units - typically agents.

Wholesale electricity retailers - liable entities

Please follow the below timeline to for surrender of LGCs and STCs (for quarter 4) against a liability.

Date	Certificate process for liable entities
Present day - 14 February 2012 (Best practice is to purchase LGCs by 23 December 2011)	Arrange to purchase: LGCs (LGCs created from 2001 to 2011) from an eligible renewable energy power station, trader or an agent and have the LGCs transferred to your Registry account. Liable entities should be aware that only registered LGCs created by 31 December 2011 can be surrendered against a 2011 or earlier year liability. STCs (STCs created from 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011) from an eligible trader or agent or purchased from the STC Clearing House. The STCs must be transferred to your Registry account. STCs purchased from the STC Clearing House between 1 January 2012 and 14 February 2012 for quarter 4 of the 2011 compliance year must be directly offered for surrender otherwise they cannot be used to acquit relevant acquisitions of electricity under the Act.
Present day - early February 2012	Make sure you have access to: accept certificates for transfer and offer certificates for surrender purchase and sell from the STC Clearing House (proof of identity process is required) Ask your account administrator if you have access. This person is typically the primary contact for your REC Registry Account or Key User.
1 January - 14 February 2012	Offer LGCs for surrender in the REC Registry and/or provide payment of the: Renewable Energy Shortfall Charge - $65 per LGC not surrendered for the 2010 compliance year $40 per LGC not surrendered for the 2001-2009 compliance years. Complete 2011 Annual Energy Acquisition Statement and Renewable Energy Shortfall Statement. Note the surrender module in the REC Registry is only open during this period.
29 October 2011 - 14 February 2012	Liable entities can: Offer STCs for surrender for quarter 4 in the Registry and/or Provide payment of the Small-scale Technology Shortfall Charge (STSC) at $65 per STC not surrendered for the 2011 compliance year with the Renewable Energy Shortfall Statement. Payment of the charge applies to all quarters for the 2011 compliance year where there was a STC shortfall for the quarter. Once the STSC is paid it cannot be acquitted/redeemed with additional STCs surrendered in future quarters.
14 February 2011	Deadline for submission of your 2011 Annual Energy Acquisition Statement OR Renewable Energy Shortfall Statement for the 2011 compliance year as per Section 44, 45 and 46 of the Act.

ORER recommends that liable parties have a small amount of surplus LGC and STC holdings for surrender against their total liability. This will prevent a situation where liable parties end up with an unintended certificate shortfall.

Redeeming any Renewable Energy Shortfall Charge

If a liable entity has paid a Large-scale Gneration Shortfall Charge for 2008 to 2010 compliance years, the liable party is able to redeem the Renewable Energy Shortfall Charge by surrendering additional LGCs in 2012. However, to redeem the Renewable Energy Shortfall Charge the company must have:

fully met the 2011 LGC liability through LGC surrender; and
supplied additional LGCs to redeem the Renewable Energy Shortfall Charge paid in previous years.

This is the last opportunity for liable parties to redeem any 2008 Renewable Energy Shortfall Charge.

Username and Password for a REC Registry Account

For the security of the REC Registry, all users must have a unique username and password to access their account in the REC Registry. Consequently users who have forgotten their password will need to:

reset their password online via the REC Registry homepage; OR
ask their Account Administrator to reset their password, for example the primary contact for the company with respect to the REC Registry; OR
contact the REC Registry support desk on 1800 159 724 or via email at support@rec-registry.gov.au to have their password reset. The support desk operates from Monday - Friday (8:30am to 5:30pm EST). Note the REC registry support desk provides technical assistance only.

Date last updated: 11 Jan 2012