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For the Clean Energy Regulator to assess an Application for Accreditation of a Power Station, the applicant (nominated person—owner or operator of the power station) must successfully complete and submit all sections of the application and supply sufficient supporting evidence to demonstrate that the renewable energy power station can be accredited under the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET).

A Clean Energy Regulator assessor will verify that all required information has been submitted and that the nominated person is a registered person on the REC Registry. Once the initial assessment has been completed, the nominated person is notified to pay an accreditation fee through the REC Registry. After the fee has been paid, the nominated person is notified that the application is deemed 'properly made’ under Section 13 of the Act. Details of the renewable energy power station are then listed on the public Register of Applications for Accredited Power Stations which can be accessed via the REC Registry.

From the time the application is deemed 'properly made’, the Clean Energy Regulator has six weeks to determine matters under Section 14 of the Act and either approve or refuse the application under Section 15 of the Act. If the application is approved, the accreditation start date is the date the application was deemed 'properly made’ under the Act or the date the power station started generating electricity for the first time, whichever is later. The nominated person is then notified of the accreditation of the power station and the power station is listed on the public Register of Accredited Power Stations. The nominated person is then able to create LGCs from the date of accreditation.

Of the 410 renewable energy power station applications listed in the REC Registry as at 31 December 2012:

• 368 renewable energy power stations were accredited and eligible to create LGCs from renewable energy sources under the Act. This includes 32 renewable energy power stations that were accredited in 2012.
• 15 renewable energy power stations have been de-accredited. No renewable energy power stations were de-accredited in 2012.
• two renewable energy power station applications were pending registration.
• 21 renewable energy power station applications were withdrawn, because applications were not 'properly made’ by applicants. No renewable energy power station applications were withdrawn in 2012.
• four renewable energy power station applications were not approved.

During 2012, no accredited power stations were suspended under Section 30D or 30E of the Act.

Requesting variations to renewable energy power station accreditations

In 2012, the Clean Energy Regulator received one request from a registered person to vary the renewable energy power station baselines for their power stations under Section 30F. The registered person applied for the baseline variations as they have requirements to release water for environmental flows into the Snowy Mounta​in Rivers and Snowy River. In this case, the Clean Energy Regulator will make a decision in January 2013 on the renewable energy power station’s baselines under Section 30F of the Act and Regulation 20E of the Regulations.