National role

AEMO’s national electricity emergency management arrangements are detailed in the Power System Emergency Management Plan (PSEMP). These arrangements are governed by the National Electricity Market (NEM) Rules, the NEM Emergency Powers Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), and the NEM Emergency Protocol.

During a power system emergency, the PSEMP states that AEMO will:

• Consider the safety of its employees, NEM participants, and the community as its first priority.
• Promote a seamless co–operative response from jurisdictional authorities and industry participants.
• Take all reasonable actions to return the power system to a secure operating state.
• Restore electricity generation supply as quickly as possible.
• Ensure power sharing between jurisdictions in accordance with appropriate guidelines.
• Take action as necessary and within the provisions of the NEM Emergency Powers MOU and the NEM Emergency Protocol (available below).

The emergency arrangements outlined in the PSEMP complement each NEM jurisdiction's own power system emergency response arrangements and communications plans. These plans may include state arrangements with emergency services and government representatives.

The PSEMP is distributed to key stakeholders across all NEM jurisdictions, and is not available as a public document.

National Electricity Market Emergency Management Forum

The NEM Emergency Management Forum (NEMEMF) consists of representatives from industry and state and federal governments. It is charged with reviewing and improving the emergency plans and procedures that apply during power system emergencies. Key to this improvement process is participation in annual exercises that test these emergency arrangements.

The NEMEMF meets twice a year. For further details please contact the Emergency Management Services team.

National Electricity Market External Communication Committee

The NEM External Communication Committee (NEMECC) comprises senior communications representatives from jurisdictions and network service providers across the NEM The committee develops coordinated approaches to managing and disseminating information to the public and stakeholders before or during emergencies. The committee identifies opportunities and initiatives that will drive effectiveness and consistency of emergency communication messaging between the states, particularly in the event of multi-state outages.

The NEMECC meets twice a year. For further details please contact AEMO’s Media and Corporate Affairs team.