Transmission Company Victoria Pty Ltd – Application for Electricity Transmission Licence

Transmission Company Victoria Pty Ltd (TCV) has applied to the Essential Services Commission for an electricity transmission licence in Victoria. 

We are responsible for deciding whether to grant or refuse a licence application. We invite your feedback between 5 September and 21 October 2024. 

Public forums

We are holding two online public information sessions to provide information on the licence assessment process and guidance on how to make a submission. You can register for a session through the below links.

Register for Forum 1: 12pm 19 September 2024

Register for Forum 2: 6pm 8 October 2024

A printable fact sheet on our processes is included on this page and available for sharing.

How does TCV propose to use this licence?

You can find more information about the proposed TCV project in the documents supplied, including its application for an electricity transmission licence. These can be found in the 'Resources' tab.

TCV’s transmission licence application explains how they plan to use this licence:

TCV seeks a licence to transmit electricity in connection with the Victoria New South Wales Interconnector West (VNI West) project in Victoria.

Our role in energy licensing

A person who wants to engage in the activity of transmitting electricity in Victoria is required to hold a licence granted by the Essential Services Commission.

We are responsible for deciding whether to grant or refuse a licence application. We must have regard to our objectives when deciding whether to grant or refuse a licence application.* This includes promoting the long-term interests of Victorian consumers with respect to the price, quality and reliability of essential services.** 

* In accordance with section 19 of the Electricity Industry Act 2000.

** Under the Essential Services Commission Act 2001 and the Electricity Industry Act 2000. 

How we assess licence applications

We will not grant a transmission licence unless we are satisfied that:

• the applicant has the technical capacity to comply with the conditions of the licence, meaning it has the capacity to operate and manage the business, comply with license conditions and comply with relevant regulatory obligations.
• the applicant is financially viable (where applicable)
• the applicant is a ‘fit and proper’ person to hold a licence in Victoria.

You can refer to our Guideline: Applications for electricity and gas industry licences for more information. The guideline includes information to assist people to understand our licensing process. 

How to participate 

We are seeking feedback from stakeholders on TCV’s application that may assist us in deciding to grant or refuse this application. 

You may provide your feedback by:

• providing comments in the survey found on Engage Victoria; or
• providing a submission document/s

Submissions can be sent to us via the below contact details:

• Email: Licences@esc.vic.gov.au
• Mail: Essential Services Commission, Level 8, 570 Burke Street, Melbourne Victoria 3000

Submissions close on 21 October 2024.

Next steps 

We will review all submissions once the consultation is completed and your feedback will inform our consideration of the application.