Reporting liability

Energy acquisition statements

Energy acquisition statements are completed in the REC Registry. They must be lodged between 1 January and 14 February following each assessment year. Energy acquisition statements ensure the Clean Energy Regulator (the agency) is informed about liable entity activity during the assessment year.

Energy acquisition statements include information about the following:

company contact and address details of the liable entity
amount of relevant acquisitions acquired, in megawatt hour
the type of relevant acquisition, wholesale or notional wholesale
where the relevant acquisition was acquired from and who it was supplied to
the electricity network the acquisition took place in
the period of time the relevant acquisition was made
the liability point, where the electricity is being measured
any exemption certificates claimed, and
LGC and STC liability

Any renewable energy shortfall charge information.

Small-scale technology certificates (STCs) for quarter 4 and large-scale generation certificates (LGCs) are surrendered at the same time as lodgement of the energy acquisition statement.

If a liable entity does not surrender the required number of certificates, they must complete a renewable energy shortfall statement and may incur a shortfall charge. This is incorporated in the energy acquisition statement. This is incorporated in the energy acquisition statement.
If a liable entity surrenders enough certificates to acquit their total certificate liability, their renewable energy shortfall statement is taken to be zero.

Section 44 of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (the Act) outlines the requirements for energy acquisition statements.

Reporting exemption certificates

Liable entities can be provided exemption certificates from their customers that conduct eligible emissions-intensive trade-exposed (EITE) activities. The agency has no role in this negotiation. Liable entities then use exemption certificates to calculate their reduced acquisitions and determine the number of LGCs and STCs they are required to surrender.

Liable entities report exemption certificates in their energy acquisition statements. Reported exemption certificates are subtracted from the liable entity’s relevant acquisitions to determine their reduced acquisitions. The reduced acquisitions are then used to calculate a liable entity’s LGC and STC liability.

To report exemption certificates in an energy acquisition statement, the liable entity must include:

exemption value (in megawatt hour)
exemption certificate identifier
EITE entity, and
EITE activity.

Where to find exemption certificate information

Exemption certificate information is located in the Client Portal. During the application process, EITE entities can grant liable entities access to receive an exemption certificate notification, the exemption determination calculator, or a notice of certifiable amount notification.

To view the information, liable entities require a Client Portal account and a nominated primary contact.
To nominate a primary contact, the liable entity must complete the ‘notify the regulator’ form via the Client Portal.

Liable entities can engage with EITE customers to agree on arrangements for the exchange of exemption certificate information. This may include metering and billing information required for the EITE customer to submit their monthly readings in the Client Portal.

To ensure that liable entities have their exemption in time to lodge their energy acquisition statement by 14th February, EITE entities are required to submit monthly data into the Client Portal exemption determination tool by 16th January.

For further information on how to locate the required EITE information, please contact your EITE customer.

Amending energy acquisition statements at the request of a liable entity

Liable entities can request amendments to their previous year’s energy acquisition statement.

If a liable entity wishes to amend a previous energy acquisition statement, they must request it within 12 months of the energy acquisition statement’s original lodgement.

Liable entities who wish to request an amendment to an energy acquisition statement must contact the agency in writing.

An amendment may be requested for various reasons, including:

change to the settlement data provided by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO/AEMO WA).
amendment to an exemption certificate reported in a previous year, including additional exemption certificate(s), and
relevant acquisitions that were not reported in the previous year.

If the amendment to the energy acquisition statement results in increased relevant acquisitions, the liable entity may surrender certificates surrender certificates to acquit the increased liability to acquit the increased liability.

If a liable entity does not surrender the required number of certificates, they must complete a renewable energy shortfall statement and may incur a shortfall charge. This is incorporated in the energy acquisition statement.

The agency may complete a default assessment of shortfall charges if a liable entity does not surrender additional certificates following an amendment to their energy acquisition statement. If this occurs, the liable entity may be eligible to claim a refund on large-scale shortfall charges.

Section 45A of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (the Act) outlines amending energy acquisition statements at the request of the liable entity.

Amending an energy acquisition statement on the Clean Energy Regulator's own initiative

The agency is able to initiate an amendment to an energy acquisition statement within 4 years of the original energy acquisition statement being lodged.

If the amendment to the energy acquisition statement results in increased relevant acquisitions, the liable entity may surrender additional STCs and LGCs to acquit the increased liability.

If a liable entity does not surrender the required number of additional certificates, the agency will conduct an assessment of shortfall.

Section 45B of the Renewable Energy (Electricity) Act 2000 (the Act) outlines energy acquisition statements on the agency’s initiative.