Applications for accreditation of a renewable energy power station must be submitted to the CER through the REC Registry.
We recommend you begin drafting your application 10 to 12 weeks prior to the date of first generation of electricity by your power station. You can submit your application when it meets the information and documentary requirements of a 'properly made' application under section 13 of the REE Act.
- You should regularly save drafts of your power station application in the REC Registry prior to submitting it to the CER for assessment.
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Contact us if you need help completing the application form.
- If you are applying for multiple power stations, a separate application is required for each.
To enable the CER to assess the eligibility of your power station for accreditation, the application must:
- be 'properly made' in accordance with the requirements of section 13 of the
Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (REE Act), and
- contain information that satisfies the eligibility criteria set out in section 14 of the REE Act and related regulations.
The information needed to meet these requirements is set out in the application for accreditation in the REC Registry.
For information on how to lodge an application for accreditation, view the
how to lodge a power station application webinar. For information on legislated eligibility requirements, see
application requirements and eligibility criteria.
How to access the power station accreditation application
Log in to the REC Registry using your login details.
Select 'Renewable energy systems' from the left-hand menu, select 'Power station applications' and then click on 'Lodge application'.
You will be guided through each of the following pages: applicant details, power station details, eligible renewable energy source details, metering details, LGC methodology, approval details, generation details, generation projections, application checklist and legal declaration.
If some sections of the online application form are not applicable, you may enter N/A (not applicable). The application requirements will vary depending on whether your power station is currently generating electricity from an eligible fuel source.
You will need to upload supporting documentation as part of your application. Refer to the accreditation checklist below for further information on what evidence is required.
Timing
Start the application process early and save drafts of your application prior to submitting.
For power stations being commissioned
If your power station is being commissioned, we recommend submitting the application 3 to 6 weeks prior to the date of first generation of electricity and when your application meets the information and documentary requirements of a 'properly made' application under section 13 of the REE Act. Some information will need to be supplied after the application has been submitted during the commissioning of your power station. Ensure all missing information is provided as soon as it becomes available.
For power stations already generating
If your power station has already started generating electricity, aim to submit your application as soon as possible. Your power station can only receive LGCs for generation after it is accredited. Your application must include all supporting information and documentation as your power station cannot be accredited until this has been received.
Withdrawing a power station application
If you have submitted an application, and your power station is delayed or you are not able to provide all supporting information and documentation, you can withdraw your application before a decision to accredit is made. Withdrawing your application will not prohibit you from submitting a new application for accreditation later.
Information and documentary requirements of a properly made application
The following checklists can be used to ensure all requirements have been met before submitting an application. These checklists are also provided in the application for accreditation form in the REC Registry.
CER does not accept incomplete accreditation applications
Incomplete applications
Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
Accreditation applications are made by a power station to apply to participate in the Renewable Energy Target (RET). These applications must adhere to the requirements set out in the
Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (the REE Act) and
Renewable Energy (Electricity) Regulations 2001 (the REE Regulations). In accordance with section 14 of the REE Act, applications are only considered by the Clean Energy Regulator (the agency) once they have been deemed properly made.
Learn more about
application requirements and the eligibility criteria for an application.
Once the agency receives an application:
- an initial assessment is performed to determine whether it is 'properly made' before commencing the
assessment process, and then
- the application is found to be either complete or incomplete.
The following information outlines how applications are handled when they are complete or incomplete. Further clarification on the assigning of an accreditation start date is outlined in Step 6 - Accreditation Decision.
Applicants should be aware that the information required to constitute a properly made application as outlined in the REE Act may not be able to be submitted as complete more than a few months prior to project completion and the commencement of generation by the power station. However, this time frame may vary for different power stations and it is the responsibility of applicants to ensure they are able to provide a complete accreditation application to the agency.
Complete applications
Properly made applications include:
- all the relevant information and supporting documentation required by the agency, or
- provide reasonable justification as to why some information is missing, in which case these will be accepted and assessed for accreditation.
After an initial assessment process, a Request for Further Information (RFI) is issued via email for any unclear or outstanding elements within the application. The applicant will be given a 2-week deadline in which they must respond to each of the points outlined in the request. Some applicants may be given the opportunity to extend this deadline up to a maximum of one month from the date the RFI was initially sent based on individual circumstances.
If an applicant fails to respond to the RFI and the 6-week processing timeframe elapses:
- the agency will automatically refuse the application, and
- the application status will be updated to 'refused' in the public register of applications for accredited power stations and the application fee will not be refunded.
A decision to refuse to accredit a power station will only be set aside if the applicant submits a request to reconsider the decision under section 66 of the REE Act.
Incomplete applications
All accreditation applications are required to be properly made before the agency can determine whether the power station is eligible for accreditation, as stated in section 14(1) of the REE Act.
Applications that do not meet the requirements that are set out in section 13 of the REE Act and, therefore, are deemed to not be properly made, will not be considered by the agency.
An application will be considered not properly made if:
- it is left intentionally empty
- there is more than an acceptable amount of information omitted, and/or
- it does not meet all the requirements for an application.
Any applications that are deemed to not be properly made will not be considered by the agency.
The application status will be updated to 'withdrawn' in the public register of applications for accredited power stations and the application fee will be refunded. Applicants will be given the opportunity to submit a new application for the power station but must address the issues outlined by the agency to be re-considered for accreditation in future.