Under the Australian Energy Market Agreement, the MCE has responsibility for the legislative and regulatory framework within which Australian energy markets operate. Key energy market legislation includes:
- The National Energy Retail Law (NERL) is the Schedule to the National Energy Retail Law (South Australia) Act 2011 which regulates the supply and sale of energy to retail customers. The main objectives of the National Energy Customer Framework are to streamline the regulation of energy distribution and retail regulation functions in a national framework and develop an efficient national retail energy market that includes appropriate consumer protection.
- The National Electricity Law (NEL) is the Schedule to the National Electricity (South Australia) Act 1996 which establishes the governance and enforcement framework and key obligations surrounding the national electricity market and the regulation of access to electricity networks. The NEL is applied by State and Territory application legislation in NSW, Vic, Qld, SA, Tas and the ACT.
The NEL is supported by the National Electricity Rules (NER), which outline the detail of the operation of the national electricity market and regulation of electricity networks. - The National Gas Law (NGL) is the Schedule to the National Gas (South Australia) Act 2008 which establishes the governance and enforcement framework and key obligations surrounding the access to gas pipelines and establishes a gas market bulletin board. From 1 July 2008 the NGL is applied by State and Territory application legislation in NSW, Vic, Qld, SA, Tas, the NT and ACT. WA adopted the NGL through complementary legislation in January 2010.
- The NGL is supported by the National Gas Rules (NGR), which deal with the details of the access regime and bulletin board.
- The Australian Energy Market Commission Establishment Act 2004, which establishes the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) and Part IIIAA of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, which establishes the Australian Energy Regulator (AER).
- Australian Energy Market Act 2004 (Cth) applies the NEL and NGL in the offshore area and deals with other matters concerning the Commonwealth involvement in the energy regimes.